Q: We have heard a great deal about Florida’s initiative petitions over the past year. Are there any updates?
A: Feb. 1 marked the submission deadline for proposed initiative petitions seeking placement on the 2026 general election ballot. To qualify for the ballot, each initiative petition was required to obtain at least 880,062 verified voter signatures, in addition to meeting other statutory requirements.
Between January 2025 and the submission deadline, front office staff at the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Office processed more than 26,000 petition signatures. Following the deadline, the Florida Department of State announced that all 22 active proposed constitutional amendments submitted through the initiative petition process failed to meet the requirements of Florida law and, as a result, will not appear on the 2026 general election ballot.
Q: Aside from processing petitions, what other activities has the Elections Office been undertaking?
A: The Poll Worker Department, under the direction of Poll Worker Coordinator Amanda Sims, has been working diligently to update the Poll Worker Manual and develop a new, comprehensive training program in preparation for the 2026 elections. A recent poll worker newsletter was distributed to active poll workers and included an election availability survey to assist with recruitment, training and scheduling efforts.
This year, poll workers will be introduced to the office’s new fleet of DS300 tabulator scanners. Technical departments have been engaged in onboarding, initial testing, system integration and staff training to ensure all personnel are well prepared to support poll workers, election technicians and voters throughout St. Johns County.
Q: Will the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Office conduct voter outreach during the 2026 election cycle?
A: Yes. The Voter Outreach Team is working alongside the Council on Aging to schedule visits to their community centers. We are also excited to participate in voter outreach on Saturday, April 25, at the Hastings Cabbage, Potato and Bacon Festival.
Voter education efforts are scheduled throughout the 2025-2026 school year. Outreach activities began in February with visits to St. Augustine High School, Pedro Menendez High School and Beachside High School. In March, the team will visit Creekside High School, Allen D. Nease High School, the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and Tocoi Creek High School.
April outreach will include visits to St. Gerard House and Bartram Trail High School, as well as conducting the spring election at St. Augustine High School. In May, outreach will conclude with a visit to Ponte Vedra High School before the end of the school year and prior to the office’s scheduled suspension of outreach and public events in preparation for the Aug. 18, 2026, primary election.
For additional information regarding voter outreach and education, please visit the “Voter Education” section of our website at www.votesjc.gov.
