2024 ELECTION INFORMATION 

Seats up for Election

Seat 1 (currently held by Commissioner/Mayor Bradley M. Bean) 

Seat 2 (currently held by Commissioner/Vice Mayor David Sturges) 

Seat 3 (currently held by Commissioner Chip Ross)

ELECTION DATES

General Election:  August 20, 2024 

Runoff Election (if necessary): November 5, 2024

QUALIFYING PERIOD

Begins May 13, 2024 at 8:00 AM; concludes May 17, 2024 at 5:00 PM

QUALIFYING FEES

“Qualifying Fees” represent the Filing Fee and the Election Assessment Fee. Qualifying Fees are paid during the Qualifying Period.

FILING FEE: $360 - The Filing Fee is not paid when a candidate collects the required number of valid candidate petitions (115).

ELECTION ASSESSMENT FEE: $120 - 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.

In accordance with Code of Ordinances Section 34-2 every candidate for election as a member of the City Commission shall file a notice of candidacy with the City Clerk during the Qualifying Period as set by resolution by the City Commission. Upon filing of the notice, all documents required by this Code, City Charter and/or Florida Statute Election laws shall be given to the City Clerk, and all required Qualifying Fees shall be paid.

 2024 PETITION DEADLINE:

Thursday, May 2, 2024 - Prior to 12 noon
Number of valid petitions required to qualify - 115

In accordance with Sec. 34-4. A person seeking to qualify by the alternative method of qualifying may qualify to have his name placed on the ballot by means of the process as prescribed in F.S. 99.095, which by this reference is hereby incorporated in this section. (b) The person qualifying by this alternative method shall obtain the signatures on petitions in accordance with Florida Statute.  

2024 GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATE HANDBOOK:  Coming soon

The 2022 General Election Candidate Handbook contains important candidate/campaign information including qualifying dates, candidate petition deadlines, ad monthly calendar of campaign treasurer reporting dates.

For assistance accessing the Candidate Handbook, please contact the City Clerk's Office: (904) 310-3115.

FUTURE ELECTIONS:

2023 - No Election
2024 - Seats 1, 2, and 3
2025 - No Election 
2026 - Seats 4 and 5

2027 - No Election

MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR: how elected  
Candidates for the mayoral election must consist of incumbent Commissioners who are not subject to reelection to the City Commission at that same election. Any eligible candidate wishing to be considered for the position of Mayor must request in writing, no later than the City Commission’s deadline for qualifying for running for City Commission in the City general election, to be placed on the ballot.   

The mayoral candidate on the ballot with the second highest number of votes in the mayoral election must be appointed to the Vice-Mayor position.  On the occasion that only one incumbent City Commissioner should choose to be on the mayoral ballot, there is no need for the mayoral election, and the one mayoral candidate must be appointed to the position of Mayor at the City Commission’s organizational meeting.  The City Commission may choose any City Commissioner not appointed as the Mayor to be the Vice-Mayor, including newly-elected Commissioners.  If no incumbent City Commissioner chooses to be on the mayoral ballot, the City Commission must vote to appoint one of the Commissioners to serve as Mayor and one Commissioner to serve as Vice-Mayor, and newly-elected Commissioners may be considered. The Mayor and Vice Mayor each serve a term of two (2) years to coincide with the municipal general election. The existing Mayor and Vice Mayor will serve until the organizational meeting following the next regular general election held by the City.

 The term of office for elected officers is four years, with a two-term limit. A candidate seeking to qualify for a City Commission seat must:  

• Be a qualified, registered voter in the City of Fernandina Beach; 
•  File his/her qualification papers during the Qualifying Period; 
•  Pay the Election Assessment Fee in an amount equal to one percent of the annual salary of the office sought ($120.00). See Section 99.093(1) Florida Statute;
•  And qualify by one of the following methods for their name to appear on the ballot: 

 1. Qualifying Fee Method: Pay the Qualifying Fee in a sum equal to three percent (3%) of the annual salary ($12,000) paid to a member of the City Commission of the fiscal year preceding the notice of filing for candidacy in the amount of $360.00. See City Code Section 34-3 and FS 99.092); OR
 
 2. Petition Method: Obtain signatures of one percent (1%) of the total number of registered voters (10,528) in the last City General Election which equates to 105 valid petition signatures. If a candidate obtains the signatures of one percent (1%) of registered voters, s/he will not be required to pay the Qualifying Fee in the amount of $360.00.  
 

Voter Registration

To register to vote, or make changes to your voter registration; please visit any of the following locations:

• City Clerk's Office, City Hall, 204 Ash Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034  
• Nassau County Supervisor of Elections Office, Historic Downtown Courthouse, 416 Centre St., Fernandina Beach, FL  
• Nassau County Supervisor of Elections Office, 96135 Nassau Place, Suite #3, Yulee, FL

 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.