- March 14, 2025
Pam Richardson
AGE: 53
FAMILY: Married, two sons, two granddaughters
QUIRKY FACT: Words With Friends and a Scrabble fan and loves doing jigsaw puzzles over 1,000 pieces
BIO: Pam Richardson worked as the Flagler County precinct clerk from 2006 to 2011 and is a current member of the board of directors in the Flagler County Association of Realtors. She was also a leader in the Flagler Symphonic Society, United Way Women’s Initiative, Coastmasters of Palm Coast, Flagler Palm Coast Civic Association, Flagler County Republican Club, Neighborhood Watch and the Mentor NAACP ACT-SO Program.
This office is invisible to most voters. How does the supervisor impact each resident?
I don’t believe the supervisor of elections should be invisible. It should be totally visible and out inspiring people to vote. So I think the mission of the job needs to be looked at in a broader spectrum. If voters are not notified about the voting, the ballots, the referendums ... then you’re not doing the job you need to do. The main job of the supervisor of elections is to embrace the voters and to communicate.
If you were notified of a problem with the registration of a candidate, how would you respond?
There are laws and regulations for all the elections officers to hold. Clarifying information is pertinent and part of the job description. So the first thing I would do is sit down with the candidate, discuss what can be done to correct the measures, so that everybody has the opportunity to run. Because it’s their right to run, but no matter what, the laws have to be upheld. ... What has to be right has to be right. There’s no alternative to that.
If elected would you expand, condense, or leave the precincts the same?
Here’s one of the issues where I have a major concern. Being a poll clerk ... for more than six years ... I have learned that voters are totally confused here. While we were in a growing period from 2005 to 2007, polls were being expanded every day. The voter rolls probably doubled. People will come into the poll, and I will have to explain that their poll was moved. Notification is paramount; communication is the most important thing. ... We have to stabilize. ... People are confused, and they’re angry. ... So the No. 1 thing that I need to do when elected is stabilize polling places so people don’t feel they’re being rejected to vote. That’s our No. 1 right: the right to vote. ...
As precinct clerk, I would supervise the entire team of seven or eight, administer the oath to all the poll workers. I was responsible for supplying, transporting and verifying all ballots used for voters, to issue any provisional ballots, cancel any ballots, download the votes to the election office, supervise the EV machines ... and of course account for everything, then transport everything back.
Is early voting worth the time and money for the county?
Absolutely. People will have their own personal opinion on whether they want to vote early or not, and that’s your right as a voter. But the convenience of people being able to take off and get to the polls on Tuesday is not always capable. Many times people will come at 7:03 because they get off at 6:30 and by the time they get home from work they can’t get to the poll. It’s a sad day when we have to turn people away.
If elected, what changes would you make to the Flagler County elections office?
Communication to the public. Information. We need to balance the budget cuts with the empty polls. I want to stabilize the voting system. There is so much confusion with elections. When there’s so many candidates, there’s confusion. ...
A big problem is people coming from the North. Their election process in other states, or from the West, are different from the Florida laws. When people come here, they go to motor voter, and that’s a very popular way. Motor voter is when you register to get your driver’s license, you can register to get your voter’s registration. And that’s great, except there’s no information, per se, on how the primaries are run and that they’re closed primaries, so people come very frustrated. And they believe the rules in one state are carried over in the rules in another state. So offering information on how elections are run in the state of Florida would be something that needs to be added.
The office staff there has always been helpful and professional, so there’s no problems with the staff at any time through both administrations. ... I want to continue the organization. ...
We have to treat our voters and our residents like they’re customers. Customer service is No. 1. So no matter when you call or who you speak to, you need to have good customer service and that’s really important. No one should be left hanging without an answer. ...
My passion is to help people. ... You need to inspire people, and I do that, that’s part of my style. So if I can register and raise our voter polls, I also want to get back to 80-85% turnout.
Professionalism and stability. I have been a Realtor for 30 years. ... I’ve been involved in local and state boards dealing with ethics standards. ... We need someone with honor, dignity and integrity in that role. And I feel I’m the right one, the right choice.
