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PRIMARY ELECTION ISSUE #2 of 4

In This Issue:
Mail Ballots Arriving Before You Know It ..1
Verify Your Voting Status Now! .................. 1
Voting ID .................................................... 1
Civics 101 .................................................... 1
Introduction ........................................................ 2
Primaries, Nonpartisan
And General Elections ............................... 2
What Is A Primary? .................................. 2
What Is A Closed Primary? ....................... 2
What Is A Straw Poll? ................................ 2
How To Join A Party ..................................3
Non-Partisan Elections ..............................3
General Elections ........................................3
Why Vote On The First Tuesday? ...............4
The Republicans Must Win Florida ...........4
June 20, 2012 SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH EVERYONE Number 15
Have You Received Your Voter Card?
If you havent received your Florida Voter Card
from your county Supervisor of Elections, call and
request it at: 561-656-6200.
A current Voter Card is necessary since all Florida
voting districts have been updated and changed
due to the results of the 2010 Census and new Fair
Districts Constitutional Amendments voted on in
the 2010 elections.
Your Voter Card (see the Sample Florida Voter
Card in the next column) tells you your current:
Polling location address
US House of Representative (Congress) District
(the sample shows US Congress District 22)
Florida State Senate district (the sample shows
State Senate District 34)
Florida State House of Representative district
(the sample shows State House District 91)
County Commission district (the sample shows
County Commission District 4)
School Board district (the sample shows School
Board District 5)
Municipality (the sample shows BR, or the City
of Boca Raton)
Sample Florida Voter Card
St art i ng on page 2 are
the names of Democratic
Candi dat es runni ng f or
your di st ri ct and t hei r
j ob descri pt i ons.
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The Fair Districts Amendments
In 2010, voters passed two amendments to the
states constitution intended to radically limit the
ability of the Republican-controlled legislature
and governors mansion to gerrymander state and
congressional districts.
The measures mandate that: No apportionment
plan or individual district shall be drawn with the
intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an
incumbent. At the same time, redistricting should
not have the result of denying or abridging the
equal opportunity of racial or language minorities
to participate in the political process. The districts
must also be contiguous and compact. The 2012
elections will reflect these more fair criteria
Voting in a Partisan Primary
When you vote in a partisan primary election you
may only vote for a candidate of the party on your
voter registration form. So you arent voting for a
candidate based on party label, you are voting for
one of your own. Youre choosing one of two or
more candidates, each of whom think more like
you than a candidate of another party.
So how can you make a choice if theyre all on your
side!
1. ForumsGo to candidate forums put on by
local Democratic Clubs. You get to listen to
each candidate present him/herself and you
get to ask questions if you wish.
2. MailRead pro-candidate material which
arrives in your mailbox. (Caution: This will be
the candidates good side.)
3. TV Ads and Anti-Candidate MailWatch
TV advertisements for a candidate. (Caution:
TV and mail advertisements against
candidates are often filled with half-truths
and lies dont accept statements in anti
advertisements without checking them out
for yourself see fact-checking website
addressses in the next column.)
4. Referrals From People You Trust
Ask members of your local Democratic Club for
recommendations. Most likely, those members
have attended one or more candidate forums
and can give you informed recommendations.
5. Newspaper Recommendations See what
your local newspaper editorial recommends.
6. The Democratic Voter This issue
contains a list of Democratic candidates
running. In our next issue, where clubs have
made recommendations, well tell you what
your local Democratic Clubs have to say about
the candidates.
Impartial Fact-Checking Websites
Get very friendly with the following fact-checking
websites. They are powerful tools for separating
myths and facts.
Voting in a Non-Partisan Primary
Nonpartisan elections are held in conjunction
with the primary elections. All voters regardless
of party affliation may participate in the non-
partisan elections.
In a race when there are three or more candidates
and no one receives over 50% of the vote, the two
candidates receiving the most votes will advance
to the General Election for a runoff in November.
U.S. Senator
Candidates for U.S. Senator where there is more
than one Democrat running are:
U.S. Senate - Bill Nelson (incumbent), Glenn A.
Burkett
U.S. House of Representatives
Candidates for U.S. House of Representatives
where there is more than one Democrat running are:
U.S. House of Representatives, District 18
Jerry Lee Buechler, Jim Horn, Patrick Murphy
U.S. House of Representatives, District 22
Lois Frankel, Kristin Jacobs
www.Politifact.com
www.TruthOrFiction.com
www.Snopes.com
www.FactCheck.org
www.votesmart.org
If you are unsure whether
there are contests or issues
for which you are eligible to
vote, call the Supervisor of
Elections at 561-656-6200 or
visit the SOE website at www.
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Candidates & Job Descriptions
Candidates are listed below for contested Democratic races only.
Candidates for uncontested Democratic races will not appear on your primary ballot.
State Senator Job Description
By Lauren Thompson, eHow Contributor
Candidates for Florida State Senator where there
is more than one Democrat running are:
Florida Senate District 27 - Mack Bernard, Jeff
Clemens
Florida Senate District 34 - Maria Sachs
(incumbent Old SD-30), Martin Kiar
Function A State Senator is elected from a
district that is defined by the state. This district is
redrawn every ten years after a national census. In
Florida, Senators serve alongside the states House
of Representatives. State Senators work with
county and city officials to ensure that projects
are completed and that their votes in the Senate
represent their districts needs and concerns.
In Florida, Senators receive a bill from the states
House, and pass or defeat bills that are signed into
law by the states governor.
Florida State Senators are limited to serve 8 years.
Important Fact Though the office does not
hold a lot of glamor or notoriety, State Senate
seats have become springboards for other offices.
Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter and
Barack Obama were all members of their state
senates before campaigning for the the job of
President of the U.S.
State Representative Job Description
By Lucy Friend, eHow Contributor
Candidates for Florida State Representatives where
there is more than one Democrat running are:
Florida State Representative District 81 Steven
Perman, (incumbent), Kevin Rader
Florida State Representative District 87 David
Michael Kerner, Mike Rios
Florida State Representative District 88
Charles Bantel, Evelyn Garcia, Bobby Powell,
Jr, Nikasha Wells
A State Representative is a member of a states
legislative branch serving in the House of
Representatives. These professionals are elected into
office, and represent a district or local constituency
of a designated number of citizens.
Responsibilities Working with other legislative
officials, state representatives draft and pass state
bills into law while addressing the important issues
of their constituency.
Term House members are elected for two-year
terms and can serve up to eight years.
The State Attorney Job Description
The Florida court system is divided into 20 judicial
circuits. Each circuit has an elected state attorney,
who is the circuits chief prosecutor. Working
under the state attorney are the prosecutors,
called assistant state attorneys, and support staff.
The number of staff members varies by circuit.
For example, the 15th Circuit, which covers Palm
Beach, has approximately 100 assistant state
attorneys and 200 support staff. More than 1,900
assistant state attorneys work in Florida.
Their only mission is to win at any price.
Think of all the outright lies told by GOP
leadership, it is amazing to me that
anyone gives them any credence at all.
To Visit Candidates Websites,visit
www.pbcdemocraticparty.org
and click on:
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Public Defender Job Description
By Rita Radostitz, eHow Contributor
A public defender is a lawyer appointed by a court
to represent a person accused of a crime who is
unable to pay for a lawyer. The public defenders
job is to ensure that his/her client receives a fair
trial.
Function The function of a public defender is
to provide a zealous defense for his clients. In a
criminal trial, the prosecutor or district attorney
will represent the government and the public
defender will represent the accused.
Types In many cities and states, public
defenders work together in an organization that
receives its funding from the government. If there
is no public defender office, the court will appoint
an attorney who works either in a law firm or as
a solo practitioner to represent indigent people
accused of crimes.
Clerk & Comptroller Job Description
Candidates for Clerk of Court & Comptroller where
there is more than one Democrat running are:
Clerk of Circuit Court - Sharon Bock (incumbent),
Lisa Epstein
The Clerk & Comptroller is a constitutionally
elected public trustee, who serves as the Clerk of
the Circuit Court, County Recorder, Clerk of the
Board to the County Commissioners, and the
Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Auditor for
Palm Beach County.
The primary duty of a clerk of court is to manage
the pleadings and other documents filed in cases
of all types pending before the court. Managing
these materials includes overseeing the filing
system, regulating access to documents on file and
responding to requests for copies of documents.
A clerk of court also responds to requests for
information about pending cases and court
guidelines.
A court clerk performs a wide range of duties that
ensure the effective administration of justice
including Docket Management (a master calendar
of hearings, trials, and other proceedings.
Tax Collector Job Description
By Alyssa Guzman, eHow Contributor
Candidates for Tax Collector where there is more
than one Democrat running are:
Tax Collector Anne M. Gannon (incumbent),
Peter Carney
Tax collectors are responsible for settling unpaid
tax debts.
Tax collectors are also referred to as revenue
officers by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
They deal with delinquent tax accounts and tax
offenders, and support government agencies in
collecting unpaid taxes from both citizens and
businesses.
Job Profile Tax collectors are responsible for
settling unpaid tax debts. Tax collectors have the
authority to issue subpoenas and request seizures
of property. They conduct background checks and
research the status of claims, liens, mortgages and
other financial obligations. Tax collectors use this
information to choose between accepting a lien to
settle the tax debt, or garnishing wages to collect
the taxes owed.
The County Sheriff Job Description
Candidates for non-partisan Sheriff where there is
more than one candidate running are:
Sheriff - Ric L. Bradshaw (incumbent), Kevin
Patrick Coleman, Joe Talley, Samuel L. Thompson,
Cleamond Lee Walker
The county sheriff is the most visible law
enforcement officer. Elected by county voters,
he oversees law enforcement in unincorporated
county areas and in cities that dont have their own
police departments. But the sheriffs department
assists in cities that have their own police
departments and handles several other county-
based law enforcement functions.
Property Appraiser Job Description
A property appraiser helps to establish the value
of a property through examination and research.
An appraiser may concentrate on a specific area of
real estate, such as commercial or residential and
include hotels, restaurants or condominiums.
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Supervisor of Elections Job Description
Candidates for non-partisan Supervisor of Elections
where there is more than one candidate running are:
Supervisor of Elections - Susan Bucher
(incumbent), Maxo Marc, Nelson S. McDuffie,
Coneste Succe
An elections supervisor ensures that political elec-
tions are conducted within local, regional and na-
tional laws and guidelines. The SOE is generally
required to have experience in directing the ac-
tivities of clerks, supervisors and election workers
who contract to assist in voting procedures on the
day of the election.
The elections supervisor is the main contact
for vendors and contractors supplying voting
machines and peripheral equipment to polling
sites. The SOEs formal approval is needed to
replace or repair any official equipment used
during the voting process.
Web site design and maintenance are coordinated
by the election supervisor. The SOE may contract
the design work to a third party, but may be
expected to approve the graphics, write the copy,
edit it for clarity and accuracy and make sure the
Web site is updated in a timely manner with new
or revised information.
An elections supervisor stays up-to-date on
the latest voting equipment operation and any
changes in voting policies and procedures. Strictly
following protocols in handling ballots and voting
records also is important to be successful as an
elections supervisor.
County Commissioner Job Description
Candidates for County Commissioner where there is
more than one Democrat running are:
County Commission District 5 Mary Louise
Berger, Steven H. Meyer, Rick Mark Neuhoff
Board of County Commissioners A county
is an administrative division of a state, typically
consisting of multiple municipalities and/
or unincorporated areas. County government
provides a variety of services, including court
systems, health services and public utilities.
County commissioners are elected officials who
serve as the chief executives of counties for a fixed
period of time.
Civil Service As a civil servant, a county
commissioner represents the constituents of the
county. Citizen needs should inform the decisions
made by a county commissioner while in office.
Policies In accordance with the operational
mission of the county, a county commissioner is
responsible for establishing and implementing
policies that guide the various county departments
in achieving those goals.
Budgeting A county commissioner reviews
and approves the county budget, implementing
and/or reducing property taxes to meet the
countys financial needs as necessary.
County Administrator Job Description
Palm Beach County is governed by seven
elected commissioners and an appointed county
administrator. The administrator has executive
powers to implement the policies and procedures
set forth by the Board of County Commissioners.
The county administrator manages an annual
budget of approximately $4 billion and oversees
some 6,100 county employees in more than 30
[Continued on page 6, County Administrator]
If the lines are short at the polls,
Republicans will win. If the lines at the
polls are long on election day, Democrats
will win. If the lines are longer, guess
who will get discouraged and go home?
Democrats.
VOTE BY MAIL.
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departments, divisions and offices. Together, they
must work in concert to provide quality services,
programs and information to Palm Beach Countys
1.32 million residents.
Supervising the day-to-day workings of one of the
fastest growing and geographically largest counties
in the nation is extremely challenging. That duty
has been entrusted to Robert Weisman, who was
appointed by the Board of County Commissioners
in December 1991.
School Board Members Job Description
Candidates for non-partisan School Board Members
where there is more than one candidate running are:
School Board, District 1 - Kenneth Beer,
Robert Bittenbinder, Michael Francis Howard,
Christine Jax, Lowell E. Levine, Michael J.
Murgio
School Board, District 5 - Frank A. Barbieri, Jr.
School boards are nonpartisan. In most districts,
members serve four-year terms, and terms are
staggered so seats dont become open all at once.
School districts are complex corporations; they re
often the largest employers in a community and
the decisions they make reach far, affecting jobs,
resources and most importantly, the education of
all children.
What do School Board members do? Some-
where in between the agendas, public comment
sessions and resolutions, school boards make a
number of important decisions. School boards es-
tablish a vision for the communitys schools. They
have to set up and maintain an effective, efficient
organizational structure for the district that lets
the superintendent and administrators manage
the schools, teachers teach and students learn.
They are responsible for hiring and evaluating a
superintendent, evaluating and adopting policies
that affect all schools in the district, serving as
a judicial and appeals body when conflicts go
unresolved, monitoring and adjusting district
finances, and managing the collective bargaining
process in the district.
A school board has a symbolic role as well. The
behavior it shows off in the meeting room, the
rapport among school board members and the
relationships that members have with teachers
and administrators in the district all add up to
the climate of public education in a community.
Whether healthy or dysfunctional, a school
board has a heavy influence on the spirit that
characterizes a communitys impression of its
school system.
The more Floridians who vote, the better our
chances of giving President Obama four more
years in office and winning other crucial elections
in the state. So unless youre content with sitting
back and watching the other sides candidates roll
back all our progress, step up and take action to
help protect what weve accomplished so far.
Take a moment to check your voter registration
status -- then nudge your friends and family to do
the same:
registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus
[County Administrator, continued from page 5]
Here are just a few groups working to save Americas
middle and working class:
SourceWatch, a project of the Center for Media
and Democracy: www.sourcewatch.org
Right Wing Watch, a project of People for the
American Way: www.rightwingwatch.org
Progressive States Network, a progressive
alternative to ALEC: www.progressivestates.org
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Lets Just Say It:
Republicans Are the Problem.
The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in
American politics. It is ideologically extreme;
scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional
understanding of facts, evidence and science;
and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political
opposition. Thomas E. Mann and Norman J.
Ornstein, The Washington Post
OFFICES UP FOR ELECTION 2012
Palm Beach County, Florida
Watch For a Discussion
of Florida Judicial
Elections in the
Next Issue of The
Democratic Voter
8
Authorized and Paid for by The Palm Beach County Democratic Party
Absentee Ballot Requests
Made Before January 1, 2011
Have Now Expired
To get your absentee ballot:
By Phone: Right now, before you forget,call your
Florida Supervisor of Elections at 1-866-308-
6739 and request an absentee ballot for all the
elections through 2014. Your vote is important!
On the Web: You may also find your Supervisor
of Elections at: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/
SOE/supervisor_elections.shtml
Verify Your Voting Status Now!
registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus
Avoid Floridas New Voter Suppression Laws.
VOTE FROM HOME
The Democratic Voter
www.PBCDemocraticParty.org
561-433-1112
Editor: Dan Isaacson
Assistant Editors: Robin Blanchard, Allen Robbins,
Nancy Morse, Debra Oberlander
The Democratic Voter is a Voter Education
newsletter. Please do your friends a favor.
Show them, or email them, a copy and urge
them to subscribe, too!
To subscribe, send an email to
SubscribeDemVoter@gmail.com
with the word
Subscribe in the subject line.
To unsubscribe, insert the word Unsubscribe in the Subject line.
If you want to join the Democratic Party
Call 561-340-1486
Send contributions to:
Palm Beach County Democratic Party
8401 Lake Worth Road, #132
Lake Worth FL 33467
Elections 2012
Mark Your 2012 Calendar!
Primary Election
Primary Election Day:
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Mail Ballots Arrive About July 10
General Election
General Election Day: Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The Facts on Voting from Abroad
Americans living abroad number in the millions.
With elections being decided by microscopic
margins, the importance of overseas votes has
never been more obvious. In 2008, Al Franken
became U.S. Senator from Minnesota by a margin
of 312 votes. And who could forget the 537 votes in
Florida that sent George Bush to the White House
in 2000?
The law All Americans abroad retain the right
to vote in US Federal elections no matter where
they live in the world, how long they have been
overseas, or when and where they last voted.*
The process Americans abroad must register
and request a ballot from their local voting
authority, wherever they last resided in the United
States.
The request must be received and accepted. The
voting authority transmits a ballot overseas (by
post or electronically). The voter must complete
and mail it back. Democrats Abroad has a global
team to assist with any complications you may face.
Contact us at votercentral@democratsabroad.org.
Start early to allow adequate time for mailings and
possible requests for additional information.
Recent legislation (MOVE Act) requires overseas
voters to file a new ballot request each year.
The easy way VoteFromAbroad.org
VoteFromAbroad.org is the easiest and most
comprehensive online solution to the complexities
of overseas voting.
By answering a few simple questions, the voter
immediately receives a completed FPCA ballot
request ready to be printed, signed and mailed
to the address provided.
VoteFromAbroad.org also immediately provides a
FWAB write-in ballot, to be used in the event that
the state ballot fails to arrive in time.
VoteFromAbroad.org is a public service provided
by Democrats Abroad in both English and Spanish
for the use of all overseas voters, regardless of
party affiliation.
If you have a friend or relative
living overseas, contact them and
urge them to sign up to vote!