On their March 19 ballot, some Collier voters will choose a mayor and three city council members, some will vote on amendments to a city charter, and some will weigh in on which Republican should face Joe Biden for president in November.
Whether you can be one of them depends on where in the County you live and what political party you are registered with.
Naples Mayor and City Council Elections
The Naples City Council elections are nonpartisan, so all registered voters who reside in the City of Naples can vote in them, regardless of party affiliation. Fewer than five percent of Collier voters live in the City, despite what their mailing address may say.
The candidates for mayor are incumbent Teresa Heitman, seeking a second term, former council member Gary Price, and incumbent council member Ted Blankenship. Learn about each of them in my post Naples Mayor Candidates — 2024.
Former council member Linda Penniman and newcomers Berne Barton, Garey Cooper, Nicholas Del Rosso, William Kramer, and Tony Perez-Benitoa are running for the three council seats up for election. The top three vote-getters will win. Learn about each of them in my post Naples City Council Candidates — 2024.
Nonpartisan information about the candidates compiled by the League of Women Voters of Collier County is available at vote411.org.
All candidates participated in a February 1 forum hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Collier Forum Coalition. A transcript and summary of the questions and answers will be available at sparkers-soapbox.com, along with information about the City Council and the city boundaries.
Marco Island Charter Amendments
All registered voters who reside in the City of Marco Island can vote on March 19 for or against two proposed amendments to the City Charter. Just four percent of Collier voters live in Marco Island.
The first amendment would nearly double the compensation of the City Council. It would increase the salary of the Council Chairman to $17,200 per year from the current $9,000 and the salary of the other Council members to $11,500 per year from the current $6,000.
A second amendment would change the title of the Chief Elected Officers of the City Council from Chairman and Vice-Chairman to Mayor and Vice-Mayor, respectively.
Republican Presidential Preference Primary
Florida voters registered as Republicans on February 20 will choose the Florida Republican Party’s nominee for president on March 19.
Florida is a closed primary state, which means that how a voter is registered determines which party’s primary elections they may vote in. Only registered Republicans may vote in the Republican Party primary. Democrats, third-party, or unaffiliated voters are excluded from participating in either party’s nomination contest.
Learn more. Read my primer on Florida’s Primary Election Process.
Dates & Deadlines
These are the key dates and deadlines for the upcoming elections in Collier County:
Feb. 20 New voter registration or party change deadline
Mar. 7 Vote-by-Mail ballot request deadline
Mar. 9 – 16 Early voting, 10 am to 6 pm
Mar. 19 Election Day voting, 7 am – 7 pm
Visit the Collier Supervisor of Elections Office at colliervotes.gov or call them at 239.252.VOTE (8683) to learn how to register or change your party affiliation, request a Vote-By-Mail ballot, find early voting locations or your Election Day precinct, find out if you live within city boundaries, and answer any questions.
This post was first published in the Naples Daily News and The News-Press on Feb. 11, 2024, as What’s on the March 19 ballot for Collier County voters. It is the second of several articles in a “Be a More Informed Voter” series that will appear in the coming months. We appreciate their support of our efforts.
Learn More
Learn about past Naples City Council elections in these Sparker’s Soapbox posts:
- 2022 Naples City Council Elections
- 2020 Naples Mayor and City Council Elections
- 2019 Naples City Council Special Election
- 2018 Naples City Council Elections
Learn how Collier County voted in the 2020 Presidential Preference Primaries in this Sparker’s Soapbox post: