Early voting began on Dec. 6 for a special election that is happening due to a clerical error.
A notary processing paperwork for incumbent state Rep. Reggie Fullwood (D-Jacksonville) forgot to mark a checkbox on one of Fullwood's forms.
The state Division of Elections contacted Fullwood with only 10 minutes remaining until the deadline. But he had already returned to Jacksonville and could not make it back to Tallahassee in time to fix the error. Officials would not allow him an extension nor allow his notary to fix the form for him.
The clerical error rendered Fullwood ineligible for the election. And because he was unchallenged, District 13, which includes most of Downtown Jacksonville, was left unrepresented in the Florida Legislature.
Fullwood filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida, saying that he should not have been disqualified for the election over such a minor error. The judge in the case, however, did not agree and said that law did not provide him with the flexibility to allow Fullwood's error. Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland told Folio Weekly that the special elections are estimated to cost the state of Florida $325,000.
Fullwood, although originally uncontested, now faces competition in the special election from within his own party and from Republicans. Democrat Johnny Gaffney and Republican Lawrence Jefferson are both now running for the District 13 seat.
Gaffney is running against Fullwood in the primary election. Gaffney has served two terms in the Jacksonville City Council representing District 7. After graduating from the University of Florida, Gaffney went on to earn a master's degree in management and another master's degree in business from Webster University, and a doctorate in education. Gaffney was a branch president for Barnett Bank of Jacksonville, and is currently a real estate investor.
Depending on the results of the primary election, either Gaffney or Fullwood will face a general election against Republican Lawrence Jefferson. Jefferson is an Army veteran and a former project coordinator for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Jefferson is currently a corrections services counselor at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's Jacksonville Reentry Center.
Fullwood, the recently incumbent state representative, received his bachelor's degree in communications from the University of North Florida. Fullwood represented District 9 in the Jacksonville City Council for two terms. In 2010, Fullwood was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Fullwood also serves as the executive director of Metro North Community Development Corporation, Inc.
Early voting ends on Dec. 14, and the official election day is Dec. 16. Voters must have been registered on or before Nov. 17 to be eligible to vote in this election. Below is a list of Duval County early voting locations.
Bradham-Brooks Branch Library
1755 Edgewood Ave W Jacksonville, Florida 32208
Polls Open: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Gateway Center
910 44th st W Jacksonville, FL 32208
Polls Open: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Johnnie Walker Community Center
2500 20th St W Jacksonville, FL 32209
Polls Open: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Regency Square Branch Library
9900 Regency Square Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32225
Polls Open: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
San Marco Branch Library
1513 LaSalle St Jacksonville, FL 32207
Polls Open: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
SOE Main Office
105 E Monroe St Jacksonville, FL 32202
Polls Open: 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
University Park Branch Library
3435 University Blvd N Jacksonville, FL 32277
Polls Open: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
