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New Polling Data Shows Miami-Dade Voters Support Electing Constitutional Officers

April 16, 2018

Today, C.O.R.E. shared new polling data that shows Miami-Dade residents support a key portion of CRC Proposal 6005, which addresses state and local government structure and operation. These results show voters support electing independent constitutional officers.

This proposal remains popular statewide, especially in Miami-Dade, and the data announced today is consistent with results of surveys conducted in March and April 2018, of likely 2018 general election voters in Florida. Those showed strong support for a constitutional amendment that would ensure that constitutional officers in Florida’s counties are chosen by an election of the people of each county.

“From day one, the Sheriffs of Florida have made this work a priority, because we know how important Proposal 6005 is to the citizens we serve,” said Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson, president of the Florida Sheriffs Association. “This new poll shows clear and overwhelming support, especially in Miami-Dade, where voters have not been allowed to elect a sheriff in more than two generations.”

Florida’s Sheriffs, Tax Collectors, Clerks of the Court, Property Appraisers, and proposal sponsors support the proposal, which maintains the integrity of the role of constitutional officers, leaving the power in the hands of the people where it should remain. The proposal requires that the positions of sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and clerk of the circuit court be chosen by election.

The proposal also prohibits a county charter from abolishing those county offices, transferring duties of a county officer, altering the length of terms of county officers, or establishing any manner of selection of county officers other than by election.

“Proposal 6005 is a return to the foundational fabric of our state and ensures all of our constitutional officers are held accountable by the voters,” said Franklin County Clerk of Court Marcia Johnson, president of the Florida Court Clerk and Comptrollers. “Your local Clerk's office performs more than 1,000 different constitutional and statutory functions or duties, so it is important to retain the independent role of Florida's constitutional officers. Without this independence, there is opportunity for complicity and corruption at the local level.”

Lee County Tax Collector Larry Hart comments on the importance of Proposal 6005, “Tax Collectors are responsible for safeguarding billions of dollars in state and local revenue as well as the sensitive data of millions of Florida drivers. Given the choice, I believe that all Florida citizens would decide to protect their right to vote for their Tax Collector and to hold that individual accountable at the ballot box. This is why we need proposal 6005. Citizens should have a voice.”

Interactive Voice Response Survey Results

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The purpose of C.O.R.E. — Constitutional Officer Resource Experts — is to unite Florida’s Constitutional Officers to serve as expert advisors and to provide educational resources to Florida’s citizens regarding the role of Constitutional Officers in our state and the constitutional revision process. C.O.R.E. will be a trusted source of information during the constitutional revision process, as well as a resource to the appointees of the Constitution Revision Commission and to the general public. For more information on CORE, visit [url=http://www.floridacore.org]http://www.floridacore.org[/url].