Janet Adkins campaign announcement, seeks reelection in August primary
Janet Adkins, Nassau County Supervisor of Election announced that she is seeking a second term of office in the August 20 primary. Adkins has served as the incumbent Nassau County Supervisor of Elections since January 2021.
Adkins is a resident of Fernandina Beach where she shares a home with her husband (Doug Adkins), their son Douglas (22) and 2-year-old Aussie Doodle (Gracee). Adkins is a concealed weapons permit holder, enjoys travel, church, family events, painting, working in her green house at Hygge Farms and boating
Adkins is a graduate from the Trinity Christian Academy (Valedictorian), University of North Florida (BS Information Science - Magna Cum Laude), and Master of Business Administration. Janet is a graduate from the prestigious Covey Leadership Institute and has also completed her National Election Registration Administration (CERA) certification.
Adkins has a long history of public service and work in the private sector. Adkins worked at Information Systems of Florida as a lead client partner taking on large IT projects, she spent four years working at the family businesses in Hilliard as the Chief Administrative Office managing budgets, regulatory compliance. She served for 10 years on the Nassau County School Board and eight years in the Florida House of Representatives.
Adkins was elected in 2020 to her first term as Nassau County Supervisor of Elections. She was elected by her peers to serve as Chair of the Northeast Florida district of local Supervisors, she earned her national accreditation as an election professional and has worked to modernize the local SOE Office and operations with new technology to improve security, camera systems, new focus on recruitment of election workers and staff development as well as a mobile app for voters and a precinct management app for election workers.
Adkins has been focused on cleaning up the voter rolls and removing ineligible voters during her term of office. Her elections team has been recognized with a historic four national awards for innovation and new ideas. Adkins has returned over $1.5 million back to taxpayers by streamlining and other workflow efficiencies; and she has improved ballot security with a redesigned vote by mail envelope.
“As I look forward to the next term, I am eager to continue the work of this outstanding elections team and to continue to build public confidence and trust in our local elections. I have recently added a “election misinformation” button to our new website and we are now using a secured governmental website or .gov site so voters will know information from us is authentic.” said Adkins.
“Maintaining public trust is my highest priority. We will continue our Community Advisory Council that provides a forum for two-way communication and transparency. Listening to voters and election workers will be a hallmark of excellence in my administration. We will continue to innovate and seek ways to improve the voting experience. Helping our veterans, seniors, disabled and citizens register to vote, find their voting location, resolving their eligibility questions, and keeping the voters informed are core responsibilities. The power of one voice in this nation can make a difference and I will work to ensure all voices are heard.” said Adkins.
“Finally, I am seeking a second term to help lead the planning efforts to ensure Nassau County Elections are ready for the growth in the county and that we continue to be “election ready” as the world around us changes.”
If you would like to get engaged in the reelection campaign for Supervisor Adkins, please sign up at www.janetadkins.com You can request a campaign sign for your yard, help with volunteer efforts and you can even add your name to Adkins’ list of local endorsements from citizens. To speak with Adkins you can call 904-316-2008 or contact her at janethadkins@bellsouth.net or janet@janetadkins.com.
Stan Bethea announces candidacy for Nassau County Supervisor of Elections
“The Supervisor of Elections should be focused on running fair, accurate and transparent elections, not on gaining political ground or using the position for power.”
-Stan Bethea
Callahan resident and Nassau County native, Stan Bethea, has qualified to run for Nassau County Supervisor of Elections in the August 20 Primary Election. Bethea seeks the position to serve voters and manage fair and accurate elections in his home county.
For 18 years, he worked as Director of Information Technology and Chief Elections Officer at the Duval County Supervisor of Elections office, where he served over 650,000 voters. Bethea delivered 50 successful elections, five of which were gubernatorial, and four of which were presidential.
“Running elections isn’t something you learn overnight or even after a year or two. I was in the industry 18 years, and I was continually learning,” Bethea said. “From the statutes and rules to best practices and security, there was always something to learn,” he added.
With a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Florida in Information Systems, both national and state election certifications, and numerous election-specific classes, Stan is well-prepared to run fair and accurate elections in Nassau County.
“The elections process changed and progressed over my 18 years. Most of it is computerized now, from the voter registration system to ballot layout and vote counting,” Bethea said. “I have created ballots, mailed ballots, processed ballots, tabulated ballots, set up Early Voting sites, configured tabulators, and sat across a window from the news media on election night as I tabulated results, and more.”
When asked what Nassau County voters should remember about him, Bethea said, “Our right to vote is precious, and it should be protected. The Supervisor of Elections should be focused on running fair, accurate, and transparent elections, not on gaining political ground or using the position for power.”
Son of Billy and Thelma (Geiger) Bethea, he has deep roots in Nassau County, where he has lived his whole life. He’s married to the former Nancy Lee Smith of Jacksonville. The couple have one daughter.
Bethea and Nancy have visited many neighborhoods on foot and on their bicycles, spreading the word about his campaign. “It’s been a fun way to meet people and talk to our neighbors across the county,” Bethea said. “We’ve definitely put in some sweat equity!”
“I am an experienced election professional, not a politician seeking power for myself. I would love the opportunity to bring my skills and expertise home to serve my neighbors, the voters of Nassau County,” he added.
If you have a voting-related question for Bethea, or if you would like more information, please visit www.StanBethea.com or email him at Stan4SoE@gmail.com.
~ ~ ~ ~
Attention 2024 candidates running for office:
All candidates will be permitted one 500-word-or-less candidate announcement and introduction to tell readers about themselves. The submission can include a photo. The deadline for those submissions has been extended to 5 p.m. Friday, July 19.
The submissions will run as space is available and not appear on the Opinion page. Email announcements and a head shot photo to Tracy Dishman at tdishman@fbnewsleader.com.
The announcement should include what office the candidate seeks, a brief biography about the candidate and contact information, such as an email address or website. Candidate announcements will be edited for grammar and newspaper guidelines. There will be no changes to the substance of the candidate announcement.
There is no monetary charge to publish a candidate announcement, but announcements will only be published once.
If a candidate has questions, he or she can email Tracy Dishman at tdishman@fbnewsleader.com or call 904-261-3696.