Dozens of voters in Brooksville will have the chance to vote again after many residents received incomplete ballots.

  • 35 ballots were incomplete -- Seat 2 race was missing
  • The ballots were vote-by-mail or early voting that had already been returned
  • Mistake happened after city limits were redrawn last year
  • Local candidates for city council hope voters will return to the polls

The election is only eight days away and candidates are busy trying to drum up more votes, but last week in Brooksville a resident noticed something off about her ballot.

The City Council 'Seat 2' race was missing.

Hernando County Supervisor of Elections Shirley Anderson immediately began to investigate and met with the property appraiser.

“During that meeting I was given some paperwork and it was noted that I was not included on any of the distribution lists regarding the annexations,” said Anderson.

Anderson says within the last year, 65 residents who were considered outside the city limits prior, are now part of Brooksville. The Supervisor of Elections  office wasn’t notified, though. Which is why, Anderson says, voters received the wrong ballots.

“We have created a new ballot, a supplemental ballot, that has the one race on it for the 35 people who have already cast their ballot,” said Anderson.

Our reporters spoke with both candidates in the race. Joe Bernardini was concerned at first.

“Every vote is important and everybody who takes the time to vote, that’s important," said Bernardini. "In a local election, it’s extremely important because elections are lost and won by several votes in some of our races."

However, Bernardini believes Anderson is doing everything she can to remedy the situation.

"I would hope if they (voters) took the time the first time, they would take the time the second time to come vote," he said.
Incumbent Frankie Burnett chose not to comment on the issue.

Anderson said she will be going to her canvassing committee Tuesday to present her plan to send out supplemental ballots.