Vicky Oakes
St Johns County Supervisor of Elections
Good morning, St Johns County Voters. Election Day for the August 2022 Primary Election is today. Historic City News subscribers who have not already voted by mail-in ballot or during Early Voting, will vote today at your assigned precinct. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The ballot includes Federal and State offices in addition to local races.
Michael Gold, Retired Editor
HISTORIC CITY NEWS
I worked as a volunteer in my first local political campaign in 1974. Against all odds, we got one of the small handful of St Johns County Republicans (that included me) elected to the St Augustine city commission. Since then, I have been hired to consult and campaign for candidates for municipal, county, regional, and state political offices. Although there is always plenty of fire brought by the candidates and their supporters, the flames almost always provide more heat than illumination.
With only 5 days remaining until the 2022 Primary Election in St Johns County, Historic City News visited several of the Early Voting locations accessible from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm through Saturday, August 20, 2022. Ballots may be cast by mail, or at any one of the supervised drop-off boxes, or voted in person at a designated Early Voting location of your choice, however, there will be no in-person voting Sunday or Monday.
Missi Davis
St Johns County, FL
When someone makes the choice to run for office, they are supposed to be the voice of their constituents. They are not supposed to be doing it for personal gain, favors, or backdoor deals. Each candidate is supposed to run their own race, on their own merit, not latch on to another candidate to drag them across the finish line.
At this moment in time, the retirement of Tracy Wilson Upchurch from his office as Mayor of the City of St Augustine creates opportunities we haven’t seen since long-incumbent mayor Joe Boles was ousted by political newcomer Nancy Shaver in November 2015. We called that election for Shaver and were the only media organization to give her their endorsement. The “political insiders”, including the St Augustine Record editorial board, said a relatively new resident “couldn’t get elected” against Boles.
More than 50-years ago, the late Phil Genovar invited Historic City News editor Michael Gold and other members of his scout troop to visit his spacious, family estate along the San Sebastian River. After a quick tour of what seemed like an endless stretch of secluded natural Florida, the guests were invited to put on their swimsuits and enjoy a morning of fun in the water and picnic lunch before heading home.
As Historic City News subscribers prepare for the August 23, 2022 Primary Elections, we reached out to Supervisor of Elections, Vicky Oakes to verify the locations where registered voters will cast their ballots on Election Day.
Maple Enterprises of St Augustine and St Johns County is a non-structural construction company. For example, jobs like painting, fencing, or demolition are the “bread and butter” of Maple Enterprises.
