Commissioner Chris Hall at today’s Board of Commissioners meeting. (Image: CCBC)
April 23, 2024 by David Silverberg
Correction, April 26: Vincent Keeys did not serve on the Canvassing Board but observed its operations.
Without taking a vote, the Collier County Board of Commissioners today agreed not to advance a resolution calling for major changes to county elections, effectively killing the proposal.
The “Resolution for a Legally Valid 2024 General Election” was introduced by Commissioner Chris Hall (R-District 2). It consisted of unsupported allegations of widespread election fraud in Florida in the 2022 election and made 11 demands for changes to election procedures.
The bill was drafted by an entity calling itself United Sovereign Americans, which is trying to alter elections across the United States. An activist named Marly Hornik is the only confirmed member of what purports to be a national organization.
During public comments at the meeting numerous Collier County residents rose to praise the work done by Collier County Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier and denounce the conspiracy theories contained in the resolution.
Diane Preston Moore, president of the Collier County League of Women Voters, said the League officially opposed the resolution, calling its title “misleading.” As for its allegations, she said, “saying something is so doesn’t make it so.”
Vincent Keeys, president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, who had also observed the Canvassing Board overseeing local elections stated that while Hall had every right to bring the resolution forward, “Collier County has no voting irregularities” and called the resolution “ridiculous, very costly and absolutely unnecessary.”
Blazier testified remotely, reiterating arguments she made in an April 18 letter to Hall. She called the resolution “deeply flawed and highly unnecessary” and urged commissioners to “reject this resolution.”
Commission discussion
Following the public comment portion of the meeting, Hall made the point that the resolution was not aimed at Collier County but was intended to be part of a national effort to alter elections in general. “We want the fire to begin here,” he said and if the resolution passed it would be carried to the rest of Florida’s 67 counties.
He also denied that the resolution’s establishing clauses alleging 2022 Florida voting irregularities were directed at Collier County or its conduct of elections. “This is not about us here in Collier County,” he said.
None of the other commissioners were impressed with the resolution.
“This resolution is not ready for prime time,” said Commissioner William McDaniel (R-District 5). “It stipulates a lot of things that are not consequential to Collier County.” He also pointed out that “There is not a soul in this room who does not want election integrity.”
Commissioner Rick LoCastro (R-District 1) was similarly leery, saying that it required a lot more discussion before moving forward. “I would not be comfortable voting on this now,” he said.
Commissioner Burt Saunders (R-District 3) said that while the resolution was “well-intentioned” he was prepared to vote against it if it was presented for formal approval. “I don’t think we should continue it. It is flawed to the point where we should start over. Let’s start over again with something that will be meaningful.”
Commissioner Dan Kowal (R-District 4) said: “I don’t want to put my name to something that’s a cookie-cutter resolution,” referring to its outside origins.
While McDaniel initially wanted to make the resolution a continuing matter to be taken up again at a later date, Saunders argued that it should advance no further.
Given the general reluctance to put the matter to a vote to formally defeat it, McDaniel, LoCastro, Kowal and ultimately Hall all agreed with Saunders that the best course was simply not to advance it in any way.
The resolution was thus killed without a vote. However all the commissioners stated they were open to hearing suggestions to improve elections in Collier County and welcomed input from residents.
Liberty lives in light
© 2024 by David Silverberg