​Elected County Constitutional Offices

 
Section 3.1: Elected County Constitutional Offices

The offices of Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Supervisor of Elections shall remain as independent, elected constitutional officers and the powers, duties and functions shall not be altered by this Home Rule Charter, except as provided in Section 3.2: Non-Partisan Elections (below). The Constitutional officers shall perform their executive and administrative functions as specified by general law.

Section 3.2: Non-Partisan Elections

The Supervisor of Elections shall be non-partisan.

A. Non-Partisan Election Procedures
If three (3) or more candidates, none of whom is a write-in candidate, qualify for such office, the names of those candidates shall be placed on a non-partisan ballot at the first primary election. If no candidate for such office receives a majority of the votes cast for such office in the first primary election, the names of the two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes for such office shall be placed on the general election ballot.

B. Qualification by Petition
A candidate for non-partisan office may qualify for election to such office by means of the petitioning process as provided by general law.

C. Legislative Intent
It is the intent of the people of Lee County that the provisions of this section with respect to the election of the Supervisor of Elections on a non-partisan basis is an exercise of their constitutional prerogative to choose this county officer in another manner as provided in Article VIII, section l(d) of the Constitution of Florida. This section will not otherwise be construed to alter, transfer, diminish or abolish any of the powers, duties or responsibilities of said office now or hereafter existing under the Constitution and general laws of Florida.