The battle lines are long-drawn.
For weeks Charter Amendment 1 supporters and opponents have struggled over the minds of Gainesville voters.
And today, for one side, all of the effort will amount to defeat and an unhappy future.
In addition to the controversial amendment, voters will also decide on two elected officials and an additional amendment to the Gainesville City Charter.
For the At-Large 1 seat, incumbent City Commissioner Jeanna Mastrodicasa, who opposes Amendment 1, faces four challengers: Richard Selwach, Tom Cunilio, Robert Krames and James B. Schlachta.
All four challengers are in favor of Charter Amendment 1, which would nullify Chapter 8 of the Gainesville Code of Ordinances, titled "Discrimination." Instead, protections would be provided by the Florida Civil Rights Act at the state level.
In effect, this would remove protected status for transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual Gainesville residents and loosen protections for other classes.
For the District 1 seat, incumbent Scherwin Henry, who advocates responsible business expansion, vies against Marcia Wimberly, who campaigns against wasteful spending. Wimberly opposes Amendment 1, while Henry was still undecided at press time.
Charter Amendment 2, if passed, would require a state referendum vote to convert city-owned land used for conservation, recreation or cultural purposes to another use.
In a last-minute effort to raise awareness, a group of parents and their children which oppose Amendment 1 spent an hour Monday evening in a march along 34th Street.
Equality is Gainesville's Business, the main anti-amendment group, will continue to reach out to voters tomorrow, said Shelbi Day, the group's spokeswoman.
"We will be talking to voters until the very last minute," she said.
