Election Day Is Every Tuesday 7/27-8/2
Hello! There aren’t too many elections this week, but that doesn’t mean the ones that are happening don’t matter. In fact, and you hear me say it every week, every single election, no matter how small, is now life or death for someone. So please keep that in mind and make sure you vote in every single election you possibly can.
Also, this week, I’m starting something new. I’m not just going to include elections that are happening, but those that have been canceled, too. This guide is great for people who have elections and can use this to vote with more confidence, but I want it to be helpful for people who might not have elections this week too. It’s about understanding the process, not just the act of voting itself. And sometimes, oftentimes, an election gets scheduled and then canceled because either no one runs or only one person runs. This is a massive problem, but it also makes a lot of sense, local politics can get really really ugly. That said, the only way to make it better is by running. Maybe seeing how many of these races are uncontested will convince you that “contest every race” and “run for something” don’t mean “run for Congress” I mean, they can, but they don’t have to.
Okay, that’s enough rambling, let’s get into the elections!
The Overview:
Tues July 29 - FL, MA, NJ and SC
Sat Aug 2 - DE
So now that you know what’s coming up, here’s the guide!
And of course, none of this would be possible without Michelle PF Masters who put together all this incredible research this week!
Tuesday July 29
Florida
Escambia County
Century
City Council Election CANCELED because only one candidate applied before the deadline
Massachusetts
Middlesex County
Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Special Election
considering a proposition 2 and 1/2 Override to fund an additional $258,827.00 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of funding wages, salaries and benefits for the Town’s operating budget for Fiscal Year 2026
Question 1:
Shall the Town of Townsend be allowed to assess an additional $258,827.00 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of funding wages, salaries and benefits for the Town’s operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025?
_______________ yes
_______________ no
New Jersey
Burlington County
special referendum Township Bond Ordinance sample ballot
QUESTION Shall Delanco Township Bond Ordinance 2025-4, passed on April 7, 2025, to authorize funding in the amount of $3.6 million for the purchase of 401 Creek Road (purchase price of $3.5 million) and related costs be ratified and approved? A “yes” vote will authorize the funding and the property acquisition. A “no” vote will render the subject ordinance inoperative.
The property the city wants to purchase appears to be intended to be an investment property for industrial purposes (more info here). City residents appear to object to the vote being held as a special election due to the rushed timing which has given them too little time to learn about the proposed purchase and the expected low turnout for voting.
South Carolina
Chester County
Great Falls
Town Council At-large:
Jody L. Knight (ordained minister, associates degree in Bible studies, lost bid for mayor in April during that campaign he was publicly accused of going to the home of another candidate to threaten them),
Wytricia KK Mack
Richland and Fairfield Counties
Town of Blythewood
Referendum Special Election Shall the Town of Blythewood change its form of government from Mayor-Council form to the Council-Manager form?
Changing the town government structure would move some power from the mayor to the council and would require (instead of optional) hiring of a manager/administrator who would have certain powers (budget setting, salaries, hiring/firing of staff, etc.).
This proposed change appears geared at disempowering the current mayor, likely Dem, accusing him of financial mismanagement citing an $18,000 Christmas party that they claim was the mayor's personal party despite the attendee list being made up of government employees from the city and across the state, and the cost of which included holiday bonuses for staff.
Among his financial decisions included raising the pay of employees to bring them in-line with those of neighboring areas, reinstating with back-pay a position that was terminated supposedly for budget reasons, firing legal council for a lawsuit over wrongful termination where he subsequently settled the issue with the former employer...apparently without significant financial cost, hiring individuals for approved positions both with and without approved funding.
The council has sued the mayor for hiring an individual to fill an open position without seeking the council's approval of the individual, who notably been previously approved by the council as an applicant for a similar position. They have also repeatedly critiqued the mayor for requesting that they respond to emails and attend the monthly meetings that are required of their positions saying his reminders that doing their jobs is "mandatory" is "threatening" to them.
The four person council that stands to gain substantial power from this government change, has managed to temporarily suspend the current mayor. The council stands to gain the ability to make a large number of decisions including the ability to choose to hire additional council people.
The council includes an individual previously accused by the council, former mayor, and current staff members of ethical issues; an individual who has been recently fired from another position for lying about her education; and an individual who demanded, and got the council to approve, the canceling of all town holiday celebrations until additional funding is provided to the sheriff's department to provide security for all events, a new mandate is passed requiring citizens to pay the sheriff for a security detail for all private events over a certain size, and a youth curfew is put in place.
Saturday Aug 2
Delaware
TBA (A as in added)
After reading South Carolina, I’m sure you’ll agree, another round of applause for Michelle PF Masters and her INCREDIBLE research! I wish I was getting this out earlier so I could really make a difference in that horrific referendum.
This is why
Our votes and our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!