title
Ordinance Setting 2021 Election Dates, Early Voting Dates and Qualifying Dates (B)
Ordinance No. 191186
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, setting the date for the 2021 regular City election and the date for the 2021 run-off election, if necessary; setting the early voting dates for the 2021 regular city election and 2021 run-off election, if necessary; setting the dates for qualifying for the 2021 regular election; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
Section 9-2 of the City Code of Ordinances requires that the dates be set by ordinance adopted no later than July 1 of each year. The City Commission, at its meeting of May 7, 2020, selected the dates for the 2021 regular city election, run-off election and early voting dates, as follows:
Regular election - Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Run-off election (if necessary) - Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Early voting dates for regular election - Friday, February 19, 2021 to and including Saturday, February 27, 2021
Early voting dates for run-off election (if necessary) - Friday, April 2, 2021 to and including Saturday, April 10, 2021
Qualifying Period - From noon on Monday, January 11, 2021 to noon on Friday, January 15, 2021.
After the May 7, 2020 City Commission meeting, the Clerk conferred with the Supervisor of Elections and learned the selected dates are in conflict with other elections.
Upon the Clerk's recommendation, based on the input from the Supervisor of Elections, the City Commission, at its meeting of June 4, 2020, amended and approved the dates for the 2021 regular city election, run-off election and early voting dates. This ordinance sets forth the actual calendar dates for 2021 as follows:
Regular election - Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Run-off election (if necessary) - Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Early voting dates for regular election - Friday, March 5, 2021 to and including Saturday, March 13, 2021
Early voting dates for run-off election (if necessary) - Friday, April 16, 2021 to and including Saturday, April 24, 2021
Qualifying Period - From noon on Monday, January 25, 2021 to noon on Friday, January 29, 2021.