OCALA, Fla. (July 14, 2025) – The City of Ocala will hold a Special Election on Tuesday, Sept. 16, to fill the offices of Mayor, City Council District I, City Council District III, and City Council District V.
In accordance with Section 26-2 of the Code of Ordinances, the Mayor issued a Proclamation on April 15 calling for a General Election to be held on Sept. 16 for the aforementioned offices. The qualification period for the election began at noon on Monday, July 7, and ended at noon on Friday, July 11.
Following a thorough review by the City Clerk and City Attorney, in consultation with the Marion County Supervisor of Elections, it was determined that none of the candidates strictly complied with the requirements of Florida law as it pertains to the payment of their qualifying fee.
Specifically, Section 99.061, Florida Statutes, requires candidates to pay the qualifying fee using a properly, executed check drawn from their campaign account. Section 106.11, Florida Statutes, further requires that such checks including the campaign account name, account number and bank name, exact amount, treasurer’s signature, purpose of the expenditure, and the payee’s name.
None of the seven candidates met all of these criteria. As a result, no candidates qualified for the offices listed in the April 15 Proclamation. The City Clerk provided formal notice of this determination to the Supervisor of Elections on Monday, July 14.
Per the City Charter and Code of Ordinances, the offices are again considered vacant and must be filled through a Special Election held as soon as reasonably practicable. The City intends to conduct the Special Election on the same date as originally scheduled: Tuesday, Sept. 16.
The Mayor has now issued a new Proclamation on July 14, officially calling for the Special Election.
The City Council will establish the dates, times, procedures, and requirements for the qualifying period for the Special Election during its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 15, at 4 p.m. at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Ave.).
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