As voters head to the polls today for Gainesville’s runoff election, they’ll notice their ballots lack something that might seem essential to the election.
According to Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Pam Carpenter, Gainesville municipal elections are nonpartisan, meaning candidates appear on the ballot without a political party designation and cannot campaign with a party.
“It’s just a different way of doing an election,” Carpenter said. “It allows everybody to vote for a candidate of their choice without getting caught up with party labels.”
However, political organizations have readily aligned themselves with certain candidates.
The Alachua County Democratic Party, both democratic candidates for Florida’s attorney general, current Gainesville mayor Pegeen Hanrahan and the UF College Democrats support Craig Lowe.
“We support [Lowe] with enthusiasm,” said Jon Reiskind, Alachua County Democratic Party chairman.
Although the mayoral election does not allow for candidates to campaign with a specific party, Reiskind believes the race remains based on political parties and ideologies.
“There are no nonpartisan elections,” he said. “All elections are, by their very nature, partisan.”
Lowe spoke about the more important elements of the city’s election today.
“I believe in a progressive, positive direction,” Lowe said.
Don Marsh declined to comment on the issue.
Stafford Jones, the Alachua County Republican Party’s chairman, said the party has given its support to Marsh but has done so in a nonaggressive way.
“We are providing some support to Don Marsh, but we’re trying to be very mindful and respectful of the fact that it is a nonpartisan election,” Jones said.
Jones believes keeping the race nonpartisan fits current attitudes of voters.
“If you look at where the public has been standing, they’re frankly sick and tired of both political parties making things overly partisan,” Jones said.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. See elections.alachua.fl.us for polling locations.
