The teachers' union is supporting amendment 9 which extends property tax exemptions to the widows of servicemen, and first responders who have died from service-connected causes while on active duty. Seems reasonable to me.

The Republican veto proof Legislature could pass a statute doing just what this amendment proposes.

Tax laws belong in the legislature. What is the rationale for putting a property tax exemption for a particular class of government employees families in the constitution.

The laws regarding tax exemptions are part of our state constitution. The only way to exempt the widows of first responders killed in the line of duty is with a constitutional amendment.

If a veto proof legislature could pass this on its own it wouldn't need a constitutional amendment. Our property tax exemptions are part of our constitution here in Florida.

The only argument I found against amendment 9 is the old "slippery slope" business...if we add the widows first responders to the exemption given to military widows...who else will want to be voted on next. As all new exemptions must be voted on, I think the slippery slope argument is specious.

One of those amendments (9?) gives property tax exemption to veterans even if they weren't Floridians when they served. Its a gop gift to the real estate lobby. No need for any of the amendments to be in the Constitution.

Amendment 9 is pretty clear cut and not even that long. I have my absentee ballot but will be voting in person.

I just got a sample ballot to look over and will vote tomorrow. I went today but the polling place wasn't open. Maybe it's only for election day and not early voting. I found an early voting library open for tomorrow

I already found one going to the county site and I just opened my sample ballot. They are listed there too

I know we have Gov. Voldemort and he sucks but the voting options and information on the sample ballot are good

Hour long line this morning at about 10am. It's way longer now. Really helped having my cheat sheet with the list of items to vote for including judges, amendments, etc. If anyone in this area Miami-Dade wants me to forward the well researched list, send me a pm.

I voted early (in-person) in Florida today also.

I noticed something that has me wondering about voter supression of "early voters" .....and want to see what others think.

The ballot is the kind where you fill in the blank circles completely.
The blank circle is larger than the kind from years ago - so it takes some effort to completely fill in the circle.

They gave us ball point pens to fill in the circles. Medium Point Bic pens. It took a lot of filling in with the pen to get the black circle full. I noticed this right away. I wonder how many folks don't fill it in as dark as they should because it is a ball point pen.

Same polling area in prior years I remember getting a sharpie type marker to fill in the circles. With the thicker marker - it was much easier to fill in the circle. A few swipes versus the 15 or more "coloring" swipes that are needed to fill in the cirlce with today's ball point pen.

I just wonder....if on voting day (when more Republicans typically vote)...will all the Sharpies appear so folks will have an easier time filling out the black circles. But maybe all through Early voting, will the ball point pens be used.

I voted in Sarasota county which is run by a Republican elected Supervisor or Elections.

Part of me wonders if this is some kind of "under the radar" effort to suppress Democratic votes because more Democrats vote early. Some folks might miss filling out the circle completely with a ball point pen versus a thicker marker.

Here in Palm Beach County we have to draw a line connecting 2 ends of an arrow. As to the sharpies...who knows, be sure to ask someone...I'd love to hear the answer to that.

I am sure they filled in their ovals. That's why we all took time out of our day - to vote.

I meant to say the ovals are larger than years and years ago when we filled out those smaller circles for school tests. These are not small ovals.

The issue at hand is that the small point of the ball point pen requires many, many swipes to fill in these ovals. Will sharpies be given on voting day?

I think some folks are going to mess up their ballots(not fill the circle with enough ink) with the ball point pens. Most won't, but a small percentage of voters will not properly fill in their ovals due to the nature of using the ball point pens.

The question is, will ball point pens be used throughout the entire early-voting days AND on voting day.... or will Sharpies be given on voting day. Then we would be treating voters differently.

but my point was more - people waited in line to vote - so it doesn't make sense they wouldn't take an extra 2 minutes once the ballot was in their hands to fill in their ballot.

and my son informs me he is going to see the President. I was like no way. Then he asked if I wanted to come. I was like HELL YES!!!! The Big Dog and Obama will be at UCF on Monday and I'm going with my son. How cool is that!!! I reminded him that he has seen the Big Dog before but he was a baby. I took my kids to an RFK memorial service and Clinton spoke and my son was maybe a year old.

So monday I get to see the President and Tuesday on my birthday I get to cast my vote.

BTW if you live in seminole county please if you can vote yes for raising the property tax for schools. The douche bag we call gov scott (I still say he looks like the fireman Jim Carey played in "IN Living Color" and is creepy as hell) has cut education so much and seminole county school really need the money.

And yes vote NO on all the other amendments and vote to keep the judges. While the judges are not supposed to be partisan I'll be damned if I want that scary bald man picking judges plus the rethugs have labeled these judges "activist judges" so that means they don't like them so all the more reason to vote to keep them.

GOTV

and so do I.