Election law change would cut terms for 9 commissioners

Broward, Palm Beach officials would have to run for re-election early

A few lines in a proposed law changing Florida vote-by-mail rules would mean an early end to the terms of nine commissioners in Broward and Palm Beach counties — forcing them to run for re-election next year, two years earlier than expected.

All nine were elected to what were four-year terms when they ran in 2020.

But the language of the election-law changes approved Monday by the House Public Integrity & Elections Committee would force them to stand for re-election in 2022 to remain in their jobs.

It stems from redistricting. Every 10 years, the boundaries of all nine Broward County and seven Palm Beach County commission districts are redrawn to reflect population changes uncovered in the latest Census.

In the past, commissioners who had been elected two years before the redistricting remained in office for their full four-year terms — even after the boundaries of the districts they represented had changed. It’s specifically mentioned in the Broward County Charter, which is essentially the constitution governing the operation of county government: “If, as a result of redistricting, a Commission member no longer resides in the district they were elected to represent, the Commission member may remain in office

and serve out that balance of their term.”

The legislation approved Monday by the elections committee would require that all county commissioners in Florida who are elected in districts that get revised every 10 years stand for election in 2022.

The idea behind the change is to make sure commissioners aren’t “representing” people who didn’t vote for them.

“Their voters are changing,” state Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, said via text message. He’s the member of the House majority who is spearheading proposed changes in election law and presented the bill on Monday.

Ingoglia mentioned the change at the Public Integrity and Elections Commission meeting on Monday, but because the legislation involves so many other changes, it wasn’t a subject of discussion before the bill passed 11-6.

His description took up 10 seconds in a meeting that lasted almost 2½ hours. “Finally, the bill increases voter influence in counties with single-member commission districts by requiring all such commissioners to stand for elections after the decennial redistricting,” Ingoglia told the committee.

If implemented, it would be similar to what happens with Florida state senators. They’re normally elected to four-year terms, but after redistricting all seats are up.

Broward Mayor Steve Geller said he’d have to consult with the county attorney to be certain of any potential impact.

“We’ll abide by whatever the law is once we determine what the law is,” Geller said. The proposal still faces scrutiny from additional House committees, and the Florida Senate would have to agree, followed by the governor.

Geller is one of the commissioners elected in 2020 who would have to stand for re-election in 2022 instead of 2024. He said he’s had to run every two years for most of his political career, including time in the Florida House and the Florida Senate, where he served as Democratic Party leader. “I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again if the law passes in that fashion.”

One thing the law would mean is a frenzy of political fundraising by people who were just elected last year.

The affected commissioners are the ones representing odd-numbered districts, 1,3,5, 7 and 9 in Broward and 1, 3, 5 and 7 in Palm Beach County.

Besides Geller, it would affect Broward commissioners Nan Rich, Michael Udine, Tim Ryan and Dale Holness.

In Palm Beach County, it would affect commissioners Maria G. Marino, Dave Kerner, Maria Sachs and Mack Bernard.