LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The election races are set in Leon County. The window for candidates to qualify closed Friday afternoon.
Time's up. A week to qualify for local office, over. Fifty-five candidates: Most of them will be on the August primary ballot, but not all.
"If they've qualified, but they're unopposed, they are effectively elected at this point," said Mark Earley, the Leon County Supervisor of Elections.
That includes two Leon County judges and county commissioners Kristin Dozier and Nick Maddox. But other races have plenty of competition.
Six candidates are running for Tallahassee mayor and five for three other races, including Leon County School Board, District 3.
Darryl Jones was the last candidate to qualify, less than an hour before the deadline.
"I wanted to make certain that I had all my I's dotted and all my T's crossed -- and I pay great attention to detail," said Jones.
He's in a crowded race, but he says it's time for change.
"We find ourselves at an opportunity to create a brand new era of learning here in our community -- if we're genuinely concerned about our children, and this is a time that we all should be concerned about our children," said Jones.
The ballots for August and November feature several fresh faces. The youngest candidate turns 21 next month.
Jasmine Ali is a senior at Florida State. She's the only one up against longtime county commissioner Bill Proctor, but she said she's confident she can prove herself.
"If I can show our young people that, you know, we can uphold a democracy, it will make everything," said Ali. "It will mean the world to me. It'll be a win."
The Supervisor of Elections office says typically, the turnout for the primary is lower than the general election, but many of the races could be decided in August.
"If somebody gets more than 50 percent plus one vote, they are the winner and their name won't even appear in the November election," said Early.
The office encourages residents not only to register, but to come out in two months and cast their ballots.
The primary election in Leon County is Tuesday, August 28. The deadline to register to vote in that primary is Monday, July 30.
