SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Here in Florida, state statute prohibits supervisors of elections from endorsing candidates of any party, and they must remain neutral.
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That rule was broken by Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson, who recently took to Facebook and posted his endorsement of former President Donald Trump for president in 2024.
“It was on my private Facebook. I’m an American citizen, just like everybody else. And I have a right to my opinion,” Anderson told Channel 9. “There’s plenty of checks and balances that are put in place to keep elections safe, like no one person can do something involving ballots.”
Because of the endorsement, Anderson said he opted to take himself off of the Seminole County canvassing board. He said because he intends to run for reelection, he would have had to leave the board eventually as the canvassing board certifies the elections.
Anderson can still attend the board meetings in an advisory position, but he has no voting power.
“Not being on the canvassing board, he does not have a vote in certifying the elections. But the ramifications go further than just this presidential preference primary, it goes into all elections that are being held in 2024,” said Amy Pennock, a candidate for Seminole County supervisor of elections. “So by him endorsing one candidate on social media, he has effectively removed himself from actively participating in the elections process as far as the canvassing board goes for the primary election in August and the general election in November.”
“You’ve got to know the statutes, especially when it comes to elections. If that’s your role as the elections officer, you’ve got to know the statutes, you’ve got to know what you can and can’t do, and what is maybe stretching what you can and can’t do,” Pennock added. “And by him endorsing one candidate, he’s basically told two-thirds of the voters of Seminole County that his focus is on one party, one candidate.
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Anderson disagreed, telling Channel 9, “My beliefs have never affected my service to my country as a combat veteran, my county as a deputy sheriff and my community as supervisor of elections.”
He said he does not regret the post and said he will not take it down.
“I have no regrets,” he said. “The post is still up. It’s gonna stay up. I said what I said. And just like whoever complained, they had a right to say what they said. So do I. Just because I’m a public official doesn’t mean I lose my voice.”
Anderson, who announced he will run for reelection for the office, has yet to formally file to run.
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“The institution of voting is what the supervisor of elections is supposed to be about, said Deborah Poulalion, a candidate for supervisor of elections. “Not any party, not any politician. I do not think it’s appropriate for a supervisor of elections to endorse anything.”
“Well, I think it’s important for people to know that the voting processes are more than just one person. And that we can really be confident that even though this one person has made a mistake, and it’s causing a disruption, that the system itself is going to work,” Poulalion added.
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