Duties of the Supervisor of Elections

As an elected official, the Supervisor of Elections administers all elections in Volusia County, conducts voter registration and issues voter identification cards, updates voter registration lists, and provides for absentee registration and absentee voting.

The Supervisor of Elections also is responsible for qualifying candidates for county office and receiving candidate campaign finance reports and financial disclosure reports.

Other duties and responsibilities include maintaining election equipment, hiring and training poll workers, renting and equipping polling places and providing information and statistics on voter registration, voting and elections.

Since 1894, there have been 9 Supervisors of Elections in Volusia County.

• 1894-1902 CO Colvington 8 years
• 1902-1916 John R Wetherell 14 years
• 1916-1920 JC Hughes 4 years
• 1920-1928 Anna Wetherell 8 years
• 1928-1948 OG Sage 20 years (died in office)
• 1948-1956 Rodney Thursby 8 years (Mr. Thursby served as Sheriff from 1956-1968)
• 1956-1992 Katherine Odham 36 years
• 1992-2004 Deanie Lowe 12 years
• 2004-Present Ann McFall

The Supervisor of Elections is an elected official, elected every four years in a non partisan county wide contest. Volusia County is the only county in the state that considers the Supervisor of Elections to be an elected department head, and not a full constitutional officer. 65 other counties have the Supervisor as a full constitutional officer and 1 county, Miami-Dade, has an appointed Supervisor of Elections, appointed by the County Manager.

The Volusia County Supervisor of Elections is charged, per Florida Statutes 97-106, WITH administering all elections pertaining to federal, state, and county elections held in Volusia County. In addition, contracts are entered into with each of the 16 municipalities to administer city elections.

The Supervisor also is responsible for conducting voter registration drives, issuing current voter information cards, qualifying candidates for county office, maintaining election equipment, hiring and training poll workers, renting and equipping polling places and providing information and statistics on voter registration, voting and elections.

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