TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Oct. 22, 2012 – Don’t wait for Election Day to support Amendment 4.
Early voting in Florida starts this Saturday, Oct. 27. While the venues and times vary by county, state officials expect as many as one-third of the state’s voters to select their pick for president and approve or nix state constitutional amendments before the official Election Day, Nov. 6. Early voting ends on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012.
“This is the point where the pedal is to the metal,” says Trey Price, a public policy representative with Florida Realtors who has been traveling around the state to speak to Realtor groups about Amendment 4. Amendment 4 would offer property tax relief to many Floridians if approved by 60 percent of voters.
“Many Realtors have advocated for Amendment 4 passage in local editorials and by talking with friends and clients via their social networks. But this is the move that counts – a “yes” vote for Amendment 4 in the ballot box,” Price says.
Amendment 4 will untie the Legislature’s hands so it could decide to end the state “recapture” law. Under the recapture law, property taxes can increase on homes even as their property values plummet. Supporters of Amendment 4 believe that asking Floridians to pay more taxes on homes that are declining in value is wrong – passage of Amendment 4 will give the Legislature the authority to end this practice.
Amendment 4 also reduces the cap on assessment hikes for non-homestead properties from 10 percent to 5 percent each year. This will be a boon to small businesses, which are the backbone of Florida’s economy. Small businesses create four out of five new jobs in our state and Amendment 4 will help them continue to remain an essential part of our economy. Amendment 4 will give small businesses across Florida tax savings that can be used to reinvest in our communities by creating new jobs, lowering prices for consumers, and increasing salaries for employees.
By lowering the cap on assessment increases, Amendment 4 will help recruit more companies to invest in Florida. In turn, these new investments will provide more economic growth and new jobs. Florida TaxWatch, a nonpartisan watchdog that conducted a study on Amendment 4, found that it will increase Florida’s GDP by almost $929 million and create more than 19,000 new jobs in the Sunshine State over a 10-year period.
Early voting
The supervisor of elections in each Florida county oversees early voting. While a vote can be cast early in any supervisor of elections’ office, many also schedule early voting in local libraries and other locations. Times and locations vary by county.
To vote early, registered voters must show a valid photo I.D. and verify their signature.
The Florida Division of Elections hosts a webpage with information on the location, phone number and individual website hosted by each Florida county. Most county government websites list locations and times for casting an early vote.
Visit the Florida Division of Elections website for more information.
Voting now
Florida residents can, if they wish, vote today. All county supervisor of election offices will give an absentee ballot to a registered voter. It can even be filled out on the spot and submitted immediately. Absentee ballots must be submitted by Saturday, Nov. 3.
Florida Realtors supports passage of Amendment 4. For more information, visit the association’s website.
Reprinted by permission © 2012 Florida Realtors®
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