- March 3, 2025
The drama between Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks and the Palm Coast City Council over what room at the Community Center can be used for early voting will continue for at least a few more weeks.
Weeks paid a visit to Tuesday’s City Council meeting and requested to be placed on the agenda. The council unanimously agreed to allow Weeks to talk, and so she did — pleading her case for using the large room to hold early voting in next year’s election.
But the City Council, claiming the room is extremely busy beyond its own meetings and rarely sits empty, wants Weeks to use the smaller room within the building.
In the end, nothing was decided and, because of scheduling conflicts, the two sides will likely have to hold a special workshop to hash out the details before a final decision is made.
“This room is not sacred to the City Council,” City Councilman Bill McGurie said Tuesday, adding that several other government-related boards use the large meeting room as well as other non-governmental organizations, such as churches and exercise classes. “I’m perfectly happy with having a City Council meeting in a room with air-conditioning in some saloon somewhere.”
Weeks, arguing that it’s her obligation to provide voters with the most convenient voting options possible, said she can decrease wait times and make voting go more smoothly if she can use the larger room.
According to Weeks, there were 1,909 registered voters at the Community Center’s precinct prior to the redistricting done in 2012. As of Tuesday, there were approximately 4,755 voters registered in the precinct.
Changes in the Florida Legislature last year allow the Supervisor of Elections to use the Community Center (in addition to stadiums, civic centers and other facilities) as early voting locations. Previously, early voting was done solely at the Supervisor of Elections office and the Flagler County Public Library, in Palm Coast.
The smaller room would fit about 20 machines, but the larger room could fit 60, Weeks said.
City Councilman Jason DeLorenzo, who suggested a decision not be made Tuesday, said using the smaller room would still be a 50% increase in early voting booths. (Currently, there are 20 total between the SOE office and the library.)
“I think we will be able to work something out,” DeLorenzo said. “The good news is: Even if it is the smaller room, that’s (more) than what it (currently) is.”
But Weeks reiterated on Tuesday the idea that using the larger room will be better for voters. And, legally, it’s her right to use the Community Center.
“I have an obligation to the voters and do not wish for negative press coverage of our county for waiting in line for unacceptable amounts of time,” she said. “We work too hard to provide a positive voting experience to allow a handful of individuals to diminish our efforts by manipulation.”
A special workshop date has not yet been set.
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