A Collier County Elections Primer

Melissa Blazier, Collier County’s Supervisor of Elections (SOE) and self-described “Elections Geek”, spoke to an audience of over 100 attendees at the March 24 meeting of the Democratic Women’s Club of Marco (DWCMarco) about her department’s responsibilities, procedures, and challenges. With over 20 years in the SOE office, Melissa Blazier was appointed Supervisor by Governor Ron DeSantis in May 2023 and then won election in the 2024 primaries. Following are key points from Ms. Blazier’s presentation.

Collier County Elections Presentation

The SOE’s main duties are voter registration, education, and election administration. The department has 24 full-time employees and a 2025-2026 budget exceeding $5.2 million, expected to increase due to the transition from primary to general election cycles. The SOE conducts all federal, state, and county elections, and contracts with local cities for election administration, providing equipment to avoid hand-counting ballots.

Voter information is updated daily, including new registrations, updates, and removals for reasons such as deaths or moves. Collier County has over 261,000 registered voters, mostly Republican (55%), female (53%), White (78%), and over age 60 (54%).

Voter education is a statutory requirement, including publishing guides, maintaining the website, and conducting programs in schools. The SOE also offers transparency tours and presentations in schools. The “Art for Democracy” program invites students to submit art expressing democracy, with the winning entry featured on “I Voted” stickers.

Two elections are scheduled for 2026:

• August 18: Primary Election—voters select party representatives; voting is limited to party affiliation.
• November 3: General Election—voters choose among primary winners, regardless of party.

In administering elections, the SOE is required to follow Florida law. Ms. Blazier emphasized that her and her staff’s opinion of a practice or decision in elections is irrelevant. She and her staff must follow the law. The law requires that the SOE office offers three ways to vote:

• Vote by mail (VBM): Must be requested each cycle, at least 12 days before election day; ballots must arrive by 7:00 PM on election day; postmarks are irrelevant.
• In-person early voting: Primary Elections—offered for eight days, eight hours/day, August 8–15; General Elections—offered for 10 days, nine hours/day, October 22–31; photo ID with signature required.
• Election day voting: Polls are open from 7:00 AM–7:00 PM. Photo ID with signature required; voters must vote in their assigned precinct.

Collier County uses certified voting machines from Election Systems and Software, which undergo extensive pre- and post-election testing. Florida uses 100% paper ballots and photo/signature ID.

Elections are overseen by a canvassing board (Supervisor of Elections, county judge, and Board of County Commissioners chair), which decides ballot acceptance. Over 110 seats are up for election in 2026; interested individuals may contact the SOE.

Election integrity is ensured through transparency tours, certified equipment, audits, and newsletters. The SOE is the trusted source for election information, working to ensure every ballot is counted as intended. Post-election audits are conducted after every election, with full transparency and accuracy since 2009.

Sign up for newsletters and/or follow the SOE on social media for updates:

239-252-VOTE (8683) Colliervotes.gov

3750 Enterprise Avenue, Naples, FL 34104

DWCMarco – Join Us!

The Democratic Women’s Club of Marco Island is a force for good, proving that when neighbors unite with a shared purpose, lasting change is possible. Whether through advocacy, volunteerism, or simply showing up, every effort contributes to a stronger, more just community. We welcome women and men from Marco Island, Naples, and the surrounding areas.

In addition to other social efforts, each month our meeting attendees donate a variety of foods requested by Our Daily Bread Food Pantry. At the March meeting, our members and guests donated 266 pounds of much needed and requested food products to help fight food insecurity across the community.

Also, this month DWCMarco was proud once again to work with Manatee Elementary for their Gift Giving for Mother’s Day initiative. Its objective is to afford every child the opportunity to present his or her mother or other important female with a Mother’s Day Gift. Our members and guests answered the challenge by donating a plethora of costume jewelry and purses for Manatee's elementary school children to give as gifts.