SRQ Daily: The Perspectives Edition features analysis, commentary and insight on current events in Sarasota and Manatee counties from regular columnists, local leaders and guest contributors. Readers are invited to submit letters that respectfully share their perspective on a local community topic or issue to: letters@srqme.com. Submissions received before Thursday of each week will be considered for the immediate Saturday edition. Editors reserve the right to fact-check and edit. SRQ MEDIA does not house an editorial board and as such does not publish editorials or endorsements of candidates. The opinions and analysis of columns and letters shared in this edition are those of the writer who submitted them. The Perspectives Edition serves as a respectful and thoughtful space for readers to share their voices on topics that are important to them. 

Running an election is hard enough. Try doing it in the wake of a Category 4 hurricane.

Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner said the election on Nov. 8 will proceed, and he hopes in this area, there will be fewer hiccups than seen in Charlotte or Lee County to the south.

“There are polling locations we anticipate will not be available to utilize of Election Day,” Turner said.

But unlike other areas, Turner said that can be addressed with a few precinct combinations. If the place you normally vote looks like it was flooded or flattened, keep an eye on the mail for a notice you may be voting in a nearby precinct instead.

Of course, that could be harder than normal. Turner noted he lost his own mailbox in Hurricane Ian, and many lost much more. With many voters displaced from their homes, Turner recognizes communication could be a problem in the region for some time.

Still, the elections office in Sarasota sent out mail-in ballots already, albeit a few days late. Ballots normally would have been mailed out on Sept. 29, two days after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida. Based on the extraordinary circumstances, local ballots were put in the mail to voters on Oct. 4.

Lee and Charlotte counties anticipate, if they can get permission from Gov. Ron DeSantis, going a step farther than combining precincts. Lee County Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle hopes to leave a dozen early voting locations in the county open until polls close on Nov. 8, and simply go that route instead of opening nearly 100 polling locations.

Turner said that may make sense in counties where the storm created catastrophic disruption countywide, but Sarasota is simply in a different boat. While Sarasota as of Friday remains one of five counties where thousands remain without electricity, damage remains largely limited to the southernmost portions. North Port, Englewood and parts of South Venice took plenty of damage, but most of the county can operate for the most part normally.

Early voting in the county will run from Oct. 24 until Nov. 6 in the county, with voting taking place at nine locations. Turner believes all should be operational for the entire early voting period.

But without doing voting centers for the general election countywide, it doesn’t make sense to do them only in south county, Turner said.

He suggested the best thing voters can do now is to take a look at the three ways ballots can be cast: mail-in, early or at the polls. He also reminds voters that this is a long ballot, so it’s good to have a plan before there’s a pen in your hand anyhow.

“Know who and what you will vote for before you go to cast your ballot,” he said. “Do research in advance, and consider all three ways of voting. All three great are great methods available to voters.”

He acknowledges staffing polling locations will be a challenge this year. One long-time poll worker has already informed the office they lost their house in the storm— but still want to help at the polls. Turner anticipates many poll workers will be unavailable.

But training hasn't been disrupted here, and will begin in the north portion of the county this coming week.

“We will do everything we can to ensure this election is secure, accessible and that everyone has the opportunity to vote, including those most impacted by Hurricane Ian,” he said.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor of SRQ MEDIA. 

Image courtesy Pixabay

Hurricane Ian left heartbreaking damage and destruction in our region while impacting all of us, some more than others. Our hearts are heavy when we see reports of people whose homes and livelihoods have been changed, as they face the daunting undertaking of rebuilding their lives. 

Our youth are especially vulnerable to experiencing severe anxiety with the interruption in familiar school, social and family life routines. High school seniors, in particular, are at risk of having carefully made plans for after high school become derailed or postponed because of missed deadlines. 

Along with the storm’s fury, Ian delivered a powerful reminder about the importance of being reasonably prepared for the unexpected and being sufficiently agile and able to adapt to an altered reality, be it temporary or permanent.

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County has resources in place, and we stand ready to help high school seniors keep plans on track and support families and their students navigate through this difficult time.  

For most families, the first step in preparing to fund a student’s postsecondary education is the submittal of an accurate and timely FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

The FAFSA is required to receive government grants (e.g., the Pell Grant), student loans, work-study opportunities, as well as scholarships from organizations, various foundations and individual schools and colleges.

Both the FAFSA and FFAA (Florida Financial Aid Application) opened their applications on Oct. 1 and application forms are available online. Helpful links are provided at the end of this column. Because many colleges and universities make priority financial aid decisions by Dec. 1, it’s advantageous to apply as soon as possible.

Even though paying for students’ postsecondary education expenses is a prevailing concern of the vast majority of families, we recognize fear or confusion about completing the FAFSA often cause families not to follow through and submit the form, thus risking missing out on needed college funding to complete students’ planned education. 

A major hurricane with resulting disruption of Internet and electricity simply heightened anxiety and further discouraged many families who already knew they needed help navigating the financial aid process.

That’s where we come in. 

The comprehensive Funding your Future initiative was designed by PLANit Sarasota partners who united to help more high school students prepare and launch a viable educational pathway beyond high school. 

As PLANit Sarasota’s convening organization, the Education Foundation works together with these partners who are committed to helping high school seniors and their families stay on track to arrange funding of plans for the future  

Funding your Future comprehensive information, resources and updated events are available at EdFoundationSRQ.org/FundYourFuture and include the following:  

• Families are welcome to complete the FAFSA at our LaunchPad4U location at 1413 Boulevard of the Arts in the Rosemary District, north of downtown Sarasota.  
• An online schedule of FAFSA open houses being held at various locations around Sarasota County. Staff will be available to explain the financial aid process and assist families in completing the applications.
• A new “Funding your Future: Overview” how-to webinar featuring local financial aid and student success professionals can be viewed. 
• A comprehensive library of explanatory materials, Q and A sheets, searchable scholarship database, and more resources also are available.

Hurricane Ian certainly left scars on our community, but the promising future plans of our high school seniors don’t have to be counted among the losses. 

United in spirit and action is how I believe we as a community will help our schools recover and rise to even greater heights.   

We will be sharing updated information and additional resources in anticipation of our generous community’s response to the Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund that the Education Foundation established to support Sarasota County Schools and aid in assuring students and teachers can return to classrooms as soon as safely possible. 

For more information: 

• FAFSA information and application: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
• FFAA information and application: https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPHome/SAPHome?url=home
• PLANit Sarasota, the Sarasota Local College Access Network Network, (EdFoundationSRQ.org/PLANit-Sarasota) is an alliance for education and career planning whose members comprise a cross-sector group of education and youth services organizations and community partners focused on increasing the rate of students who pursue a purposeful postsecondary pathway, particularly among those historically underrepresented in higher education.
• The Education Foundation of Sarasota County (EdFoundationSRQ.org) is an independent, philanthropic partner with Sarasota County Schools that also serves as the convening organization for PLANit Sarasota. The Education Foundation’s mission is to enhance the potential of all students, promote excellence in teaching, and inspire innovation in education, guided by strategic philanthropy and the belief that each and every student is prepared for life beyond high school. 

Jennifer Vigne is president and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. 

Image courtesy Pixabay