- April 18, 2024
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Also: McFall encourages primary voting.
A challenger from the Democratic Party has stepped forward in the race for representative of District 25 in the state house legislature. Rep. Dave Hood has announced that he will not seek re-election.
Fred Costello, a Republican who served in the house from 2010 to 2012, announced his candidacy in February.
At the monthly meeting of the Democratic Club of Northeast Volusia on June 10, Noel Cheryl Bickford, a 15-year Ormond Beach resident, announced she will travel to Tallahassee next week and formally file her candidacy.
This will be her first try at public office. Bickford, 62, has a master's degree in business administration and worked as a health care administrator before moving to Ormond Beach. She operated a shop on Beach Street in Daytona Beach for three years.
Currently she is on the board of directors of Little Theatre in New Smyrna Beach. She has served on the board of directors of Ormond Memorial Art Museum, Seaside Music Theater and St. James Episcopal School.
Costello, 64, currently has a dental practice. He was mayor of Ormond Beach from 2002 to 2010.
Costello was a city commissioner from 1999 to 2002 and has served on the Volusia Council of Governments, Volusia Transportation Planning Organization and Ormond Beach Development Review Board and Planning Board. He is past president of Tiger Bay Club, Kiwanis and a board member of United Way. He was a captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1974-1977.
Also at the meeting of the Northeast Democrats, Volusia County Elections Supervisor Ann McFall gave an update on changes for this year’s election.
She said that every city in Volusia County will have something on the primary ballot, and urged the public to be sure and vote in August. She said that in the past, the turnout for primaries has been as low as 20%.
“The races that make the biggest difference in your life are on the primary ballot,” she said. “Don’t wait until November to vote.”
For example, she said Volusia County School Board members will be elected in the primary election.
She noted that 52% of the voters in the 2012 were over the age of 55 and 53% were females.
“So those running for office should find females over 55,” she said to laughter in the audience.
She said that three amendments will be on the ballot this year, initiatives affecting land conservation, medical marijuana and judicial appointments.
In the question and answer session, she was asked if two forms of ID were required when voting, because both signature and photo are required. She answered that one ID can be used, if it has both signature and photo.
A complete list of acceptable forms of ID can be found on the website, volusiaelections.org.
She also discussed rule changes in absentee balloting and other issues.
One change is that there is a 10-day period beyond the election for oversee ballots to be counted. Previously, this wait was only for federal elections, but it has been extended to all elections. If there is a recount, she said, it will have to wait until 10 days after the election.
