TAMPA, Fla. — It’s Election Day in the City of Tampa, and several local city council seats are on the ballot as well as the race for mayor. There are also four city charter changes to decide on.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections wants to remind voters they must show up to the polling place assigned to their precinct today. And, if you have a mail-in ballot, you can no longer put it in the mail because it won’t be counted. You must bring it to the Supervisor of Elections office before 7 p.m. so it can be counted.
If you need to check your voter registration status, look up your precinct or look at a sample ballot before you head to the polls, click here.
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer said in the 2019 City of Tampa election, there was a little more than a 20% turnout. So far, for this race, the turnout is about 7.25%. That’s not including people voting today. He hopes that number climbs as the day goes on.
“The municipal elections are extremely important. The city council, the mayor, these are the people that are in charge of making sure your quality of life issues are taken care of," he said. "Your garbage is picked up, you’ve got good infrastructure, you’ve got stormwater running off appropriately."
Latimer also said it's important to remember, "This is just the incorporated City of Tampa. Not necessarily if you have a Tampa mailing address. You have to live within the incorporated city limits."
The city council districts on the ballot include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Plus, current Mayor Jane Castor is running against write-in candidate Dr. Belinda Noah.
The four ordinances on the ballot include:
- Term limits for city council members — four consecutive full terms
- Four city council votes to approve a mayor's nominations for heads of departments and other city employees
- Charter review advisory commission established every eight years instead of 10
- Allowing city council to create oversight boards without the mayor’s recommendation
If you’re still unsure about which candidate you would like to vote for, click here for a full guide.
