In order to complete a latenotice ballot correction, the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections office completed testing Saturday on equipment that will be used for the primary races.

The additional tests were completed after the Supervisor of Elections office was notified that residents’ ballots in a community development district (CDD), which had been annexed previously into the City of St. Cloud, did not list City of St. Cloud candidates.

Elections official said they never received notice of the annexations, and their additional research revealed they had not been notified of the annexation of another CDD into St. Cloud. Given the omissions, residents of the two CDDs were not able to vote for St. Cloud Council members in the 2022 primary and general elections, and some voters were also impacted during the 2020 elections.

In a response issued by the City of St. Cloud, the city maintains that a standard notification of both annexations was made to all relevant county and state agencies at the time of the annexations. The city cited changes made by the Property Appraiser’s office to graphic maps that showed those CDDs inside the city limits, and the addition of the individual properties in them onto the Tax Collector’s office tax rolls for the city of St. Cloud.

City officials also stated they are collaborating with the Supervisor of Elections office to determine what exactly occurred, and to implement procedures to prevent any future occurrences.

The Elections Office corrected the ballots for the two affected precincts and began re-testing all election equipment on July 31. Saturday’s test was conducted with the elections office senior staff, and members of the Osceola County Canvassing Board, including County Judge Celia Thacker Dorn. The additional testing was required by state law and had to be completed in time for the Aug. 20 primary election, for which mail-in ballots have already begun to be received, and early voting began Monday.

Osceola County Early Voting Sites

Voting started Monday. Locations are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday, Aug. 18

Supervisor of Elections Office — 2509 E. U.S. Highway 192, Kissimmee

West Osceola Branch Library — 305 Campus Street, Celebration

Robert Guevara Community Center — 501 Florida Parkway, Buenaventura Lakes

St. Cloud Civic Center — 3001 17^th Street

Kissimmee Civic Center — 201 E. Dakin Avenue

The Gym & Aquatic Center — 625 Country Club Drive, Poinciana

Narcoossee Community Center — 5354 Rambling Road, St. Cloud

Osceola Tax Collector — 4730 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Campbell City

Osceola Welcome Center — 4155 W. Vine Street (192), Kissimmee

Saturday’s testing was completely successful, according to Kari Ewalt, Director of Administrative Services for the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections.

Representatives of the Osceola County Democratic and Republican Executive Committees were on hand to monitor the voting machine testing from within the testing area. Several candidates for elected office, including Republican Jim Trautz, who is running for Osceola County Supervisor of Elections, were on hand to observe the testing from a public viewing area separate from the canvassing room. Other candidates running for election present were Mandy Shafer, vying for St Cloud City Council Member Seat 2, and Rafael Martinez, candidate for the office of Tax Collector. Several members of the public were also on hand to observe the proceedings.

For more information on the upcoming primary and general elections, see https://bit.ly/4cuda1p