Updated 4/22/24 8:03 AM to correct the title of the Resolution in the post’s first paragraph. It had erroneously been written as “legally binding” instead of “legally valid.”
Should the Collier County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) adopt a Resolution for a Legally Valid 2024 General Election? The resolution is Agenda Item 10A on the BCC’s April 23 Meeting Agenda.
“I am in receipt of a proposed Resolution from the election integrity committee of the Collier County Republican Executive Committee,” Commission Chair Chris Hall explained in the Executive Summary attached to the Agenda. “I am asking that the Board consider the Resolution, and if the Board is in agreement, adopting it.”
How does it affect Collier voters?
Regardless of whether or not the resolution is adopted, the office of Supervisor of Elections will be on Collier voters’ ballots this year. The incumbent Supervisor, Melissa Blazier, has two challengers: Tim Guerette and Dave Schaffel.
The candidates’ positions on the resolution’s underlying assumptions and allegations will be among the central issues in the race.
What does the Resolution say?
“Be it Resolved that the Board of Commissioners in Collier County, FL, stands in support with the concerns and remedies presented here,” the Collier County Resolution for a Legally Valid 2024 General Election begins. “We implore the Collier County Legislature, Florida Legislature, Federal Legislators, Law Enforcement, Federal and State Prosecutors, Judges, and both State and County Boards of Elections to cooperate and fulfill these firm requests of the people.”
What are the concerns?
The concerns are presented in the Resolution as statements of fact without evidence in several “Whereas” clauses.
One clause asserts, “An open-source audit of the Florida 2022 General Election conducted by Florida state citizens has uncovered evidence of massive inaccuracies that violate both Federal and State laws.”
It lists several “massive inaccuracies” and concludes, “Certification as defined by law, an attestation of accuracy and compliance, appears to have been fraudulent and illegal.”
Another “Whereas” clause asserts that “Florida’s 2022 General Election appears to have been invalid, depriving us of the guaranteed protection of our Natural Rights under a government duly and provably chosen by us, the American people, resulting in incalculable damage.”
What are the remedies?
The Resolution calls “upon our Representatives to provide relief to the people, and the assurance of domestic tranquility, by joining us in demanding a VALID 2024 General Election that upholds these existing laws, and equitable principles of law.”
It then enumerates 11 procedural changes to current election and voting procedures.
What’s the back story?
Where did the resolution come from?
The source of the proposed resolution is a nonpartisan grassroots organization called United Sovereign Americans. According to its website, “We are an organization of citizen volunteers working to ensure valid Constitutional elections that are fair, accurate, and trustworthy.”
The group intends “to return the country to the rule of law and government by consent,” beginning with three steps. The first involves encouraging passage across the country of its United Sovereign Americans Resolution, which appears to have been the template for the Collier County proposal.
Its two other steps are teamwork and litigation. It will assist state teams in “gathering, reviewing, and polishing” examples of voter fraud so that they can “create valid claims under the law and hold election officials directly responsible for misconduct.” And it will “force election officials to obey the law” through litigation.
The website states, “We are prepared to file in nine states. Thirteen additional states are preparing evidence. We seek a Supreme Court ruling before the 2024 election.”
What’s the role of the CCREC?
Hall says the resolution was brought to him by the Election Integrity Committee of the Collier County Republican Executive Committee (CCREC). The CCREC is the official local chapter of the Republican Party.
“Without voter integrity constantly in question, it is difficult to ensure citizens that their vote does indeed matter,” the CCREC’s website says. “Voter protection begins and ends at the local level. Together, we are working to hold elected officials accountable and increase efforts to assure One Person=One Vote.”
The CCREC’s previous election-related acts included passing a resolution in 2023 calling on state lawmakers to impose the use of paper ballots statewide for the 2024 presidential election (see here) and a resolution in 2022 rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential election (see here). I could find neither of those resolutions on their website today.
Why is Commissioner Hall involved?
Republican Chris Hall was elected to the BCC in 2022, defeating Democrat Bebe Kanter with 70.1% of the votes. He reached the General Election ballot after winning a closed Republican Primary with 50.1% of the votes with the endorsement of the Collier County Republican Executive Committee and State Committeeman Francis “Alfie” Oakes.
He did not contest or express concern about the validity or integrity of either election’s result.
Today, Hall describes himself as “Collier County’s Conservative Conscience.” In a section of his website called “Battles,” he lists “fighting to outlaw sexually explicit drag shows from public property and access to minors,” introducing a local “medical freedom bill of rights” to outlaw mask and vaccine mandates in Collier County, leading efforts to return COVID regulation money provided to the County by the CDC, repealing “unnecessary” regulations on homeowners related to tenant-landlord relationships, and championing efforts to create private sector options for affordable housing, “not government-driven intervention.” Gaining passage of this Resolution appears to be another “battle” he’s taking on.
Regarding the upcoming Supervisor of Elections election, a political committee called Friends of Chris Hall contributed $1,000 to Schaffel’s campaign. According to the Florida Department of State, Friends of Chris Hall was established in October 2023 with a $1,000 contribution from Schaffel, making the contribution to Schaffel’s campaign a return of Schaffel’s own money. Schaffel told a Sparker’s Soapbox reader that he serves (or served) on the CCREC Election Integrity Subcommittee, has done work for Election Integrity groups, and has been involved with legislative action for election law reform.
What does the Supervisor of Elections say about the resolution?
“Our voters need to know that we’re doing the right thing and that this resolution is ridiculous!” Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier told me.
In an April 18 email to Commissioner Hall, she called the resolution “extremely flawed” and said she hoped the Board would reject it. “As Collier County Supervisor of Elections, with 18+ years of election administration experience,” the email begins, “I find the attached proposed resolution to be deeply flawed and highly unnecessary.
“The statements purporting to support the 11 requests are riddled with erroneous conclusions and lack any manner of legally relevant evidence,” she continued. “The majority “are either already incorporated into existing law, are in direct violation of existing law, or would require technology that is not yet available or authorized for use in the State of Florida.”
She attached to her email her specific comments on each of the 11 requests, with citations to the applicable Florida statute.
She said if the Board even considers the resolution, let alone if they pass it, it will “further erode” the public’s confidence in Collier County’s elections and “only fuel the harassment of the many individuals who [work together] to ensure the integrity of the electoral process in our community.”
How can I express my views on the proposed resolution before the BCC vote?
Email the commissioners
Let your voice be heard before Tuesday’s meeting by emailing the five county commissioners.
- Rick.LoCastro@colliercountyfl.gov
- Chris.Hall@colliercountyfl.gov
- Burt.Saunders@colliercountyfl.gov
- Dan.Kowal@colliercountyfl.gov
- Bill.McDaniel@colliercountyfl.gov
You might also want to copy or email Supervisor of Elections Blazier at Supervisor.Elections@CollierVotes.gov.
Attend the meeting in person or participate remotely
You may attend the meeting and express your views remotely or in person. For more on how to do so, click here.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 23, beginning at 9 AM at the Board of County Commission Chambers, Collier County Government Center, 3299 Tamiami Trail East, 3rd Floor Naples, FL 34112.
It will be broadcast live with closed captioning on Collier Television channel 97/98 and via live streaming at www.colliercountyfl.gov/ctv.
Learn more about the upcoming Supervisor of Elections election
Candidate campaign websites
- Melissa Blazier (incumbent) – melissablazier.com
- Tim Guerette – votetimguerrette.com
- Dave Schaffel – schaffelforsupervisor.com