Election Dates:
General Election: November 5, 2024
Town Code Chapter 18 Elections, Sec. 18-2 – Town council to call.
The town council shall, by appropriate resolution regularly adopted at least 90 days prior to an election, call the election for the purposes for which it is to be held. The town council shall also give notice to the electorate at least 90 days prior to the date of the election by posting a notice of the election at a prominent place in the town, and it may also publish the notice for at least two successive weeks prior to the date of the election beginning date of qualifying in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The notice shall give the time and the place of holding of the election, state the purpose of the election, state the beginning date of qualifying and the ending date for qualifying for the election. The beginning date for qualifying for the election shall be 40 days preceding the county primary election in even years. The ending date for qualifying for the election shall be ten days preceding the county primary election in even years. The town clerk may also give notice of any requirements for qualifying for office by posting or publication.
Council Seats up for Election:
Three Seats currently held by Town Council Members:
Lee Pickett
Kenny Sims
Jared Wollitz
Future Elections:
The Town of Hilliard General Election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
2023 - No Election
2024 – 3 Town Council Seats
2025 - No Election
2026 – 2 Town Council Seats & Mayor Seat
2027 - No Election
Candidate Qualifying Information
Please read to ensure a timely and proper qualifying submission as a candidate.
Qualifying Period:
Begins – Thursday, July 11th, 2024, at noon.
Ends – Friday, August 9th, 2024, at noon.
Candidate Petitions are due no later than – Thursday, August 1, 2024, at noon.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that qualifying papers are complete and timely filed with the Town of Hilliard, Town Clerk’s Office. Candidates are encouraged to contact the Town Clerk’s Office prior to completing qualifying documents to ensure the appropriate documents are filed in a timely manner and in proper order.
Qualifying papers can be mailed or hand-delivered to:
Town of Hilliard - Attention: Lisa Purvis, MMC Town Clerk
Post Office Box 249 - 15859 West County Road 108
Hilliard, Florida 32046
Please notify our office in advance if a courier service will be delivering your qualifying forms. To personally file your qualifying papers, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office to schedule your pre-qualifying/qualifying appointment: (904) 845-3555 to speak to Elise Earnest or Lisa Purvis.
Qualifying Fees:
The Filing Fee and the Election Assessment Fee. Qualifying Fees are paid during the Qualifying Period.
Filing Fee $50: The Filing Fee is paid prior to verification of candidate petitions. The required number of valid candidate petitions is ten (10).
Election Assessment Fee: $60 - The Election Assessment fee is paid by all candidates unless it imposes an undue burden on personal resources or on resources otherwise available to him or her shall, upon written certification of such inability given under oath to the qualifying officer, be exempt from paying the election assessment. The Election Assessment Fee in an amount equal to one percent of the annual salary of the office sought ($60.00). See Section 99.093(1) Florida Statute.
Form DS-DE19A Affidavit of Undue Burden
If a candidate is unable to pay the fee for verification of petition signatures without imposing an undue burden on his/her personal resources or on resources otherwise available to the candidate, an Affidavit of Undue Burden shall be filed with the candidate’s petitions.
In accordance with the Hilliard Town Council Chapter 18, every candidate for election as a member of the Town Council shall file a notice of candidacy with the Town Clerk during the Qualifying Period as set by resolution by the Town Council. Upon filing of the notice, all documents required by this Town Code, Town Charter and/or Florida Statute Election laws shall be given to the Town Clerk, and all required Qualifying Fees shall be paid.
The 2024 General Election Candidate Handbook contains important Candidate/campaign information including qualifying dates, candidate petition deadlines, and monthly calendar of campaign treasurer reporting dates.
For assistance accessing the Candidate Handbook, please contact the Town Clerk's Office: (904) 845-3555.
Required Candidate Qualifying Forms:
It is your responsibility to ensure that qualifying papers are complete and timely filed. Qualifying forms are outlined below and are accessible at www.townofhilliard.com.
|
STEP 1: DS-DE 9 State of Florida Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository For Candidates Form DS DE 9 is the first form to be filed with the Hilliard Town Clerk to begin the candidate process. This form must be on file prior to opening a campaign account, collecting petition signatures, accepting campaign contributions, or making campaign expenditures. Due during the Qualifying period (if not submitted prior to the Qualifying Period.) STEP 2: |
|
|
DS-DE 84 Statement of Candidate Due within ten days of filing form DS-DE 9, Form DS-DE 84 shall be filed with the Hilliard Town Clerk stating the candidate has read and understands the requirements of Chapter 106 Campaign Financing, Florida Statute located on TAB 4 of the Candidate Handbook. STEP 3: |
|
|
DS-DE 302NP Candidate Oath - Nonpartisan Office (To be completed by all candidates) Due during the Qualifying Period form DS-DE 302NP shall be filed with the Hilliard Town Clerk as part of Qualifying as a candidate for Town Council. STEP 4: Candidate Petitions shall be completed by Candidates who desire to qualify for election and submitted to the Hilliard Town Clerk prior to the petition deadline. |
|
|
STEP 5: Form 1 Statement of Financial Interests Due during the Qualifying Period Form 1 shall be filed with the Hilliard Town Clerk as part of Qualifying as a candidate for Town Council.
|
Town Code Chapter 18 Elections Sec. 18-5: Majority vote not required; runoffs.
(a) A majority vote is not required for election to the town council. The number of candidates to the town council equal in number to the number of positions on the town council being elected who receive the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected to the town council.
(b) If a tie vote prevents persons from being elected to the council, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the town council shall by resolution call a runoff election between the persons receiving the same number of votes; and the persons equal in number to the number of positions on the town council being filled at such runoff election who receive the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected to the town council.
Additional Information:
Qualifying Fee: A properly executed campaign check drawn on the candidate’s campaign account and signed by the Campaign Treasurer or Deputy Treasurer in the amount of the qualifying fee. The properly executed check should be made payable to the Town of Hilliard. Personal checks, cashier’s checks, cash, and money orders are not acceptable for qualifying. A check signed by a candidate not designated as the Treasurer or Deputy Treasurer is not acceptable.
Additional Filing Requirements: Section 106.07, Florida Statutes, requires the candidate and campaign treasurer (if applicable) to file reports of all contributions received and all expenditures made. Please review the Calendar of Reporting Dates for these deadlines. In addition, Section 106.141, Florida Statutes, requires that each candidate who withdraws becomes unopposed or is eliminated or elected to office within 90 days shall dispose of the funds on deposit in his or her campaign account. If you wish to use a nickname, you must complete the Affidavit Use of Nickname on Ballot.
Key Points to Remember: Please provide a telephone number and email address where you can be reached during the day and after normal working hours. Our office will try to contact you if there is a problem with your paperwork. The qualifying fee cannot be returned to a candidate unless a candidate withdraws in writing before the close of qualifying. A Statement of Withdrawal must contain the candidate’s signature and be notarized. The statement can be emailed to townofhilliard.com, faxed to 904-845-1221, mailed, or hand delivered. Carefully review notarized forms.
Common mistakes include: the state rather than the county entered in venue; failure to indicate physical or online notarization; notary indicates online but is not registered with the Florida Department of State to provide online notarization; and the notary seal with expiration date and name is not legible due to a light stamping or stamping on a dark line. Time is of the essence in qualifying as a candidate. To be deemed timely filed with the Town of Hilliard, Town Clerk, qualifying documents must be received at the office of the Town Clerk at the Hilliard Town Hall, as specified above by the close of the qualifying period. The U.S. Postal Service’s designated hours for mail pick-up/delivery do not correspond to the qualifying deadline. To ensure qualifying items are timely submitted, a candidate or someone on behalf of the candidate should hand deliver directly to the Town Clerk’s Office or use a commercial express courier delivery service that delivers directly to the Town Clerk’s Office no later than the deadline.
A candidate’s status will change from “Filed” to “Qualified” once our office has completed the auditing process for the candidate’s qualifying documents. To check your qualifying status, visit the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections 2024 Announced Candidates. This information can be viewed by clicking on the candidate’s name. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit a photo, bio, or candidate statement.
Should you have questions, or if we can be of assistance to you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us at (904) 845-3555.
Voter Registration:
To register to vote, or make changes to your voter registration; please visit the following locations:
Town of Hilliard, 15859 West County Road 108, Hilliard, FL 32046
Nassau County Supervisor of Elections Office, 96135 Nassau Place, Suite #3, Yulee, FL 32097
To find your voting precinct or request a Vote by Mail Ballot (Absentee Ballot) please visit the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections' Office website: www.votenassaufl.gov or phone (904) 491-7500.
