Ida Elliott Seeks Supervisor of Elections Post

Ida Cooper Elliott, 1600 Bluff Road, Apalachicola, has qualified for the ballot to run for the office of county Supervisor of Elections.

Elliott will face Renèe S. Griffin, of 258 N Bayshore Dr., Eastpoint, in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary. Incumbent Doris Shiver Gibbs has decided not to seek re-election.

No Republicans have come forward to run for the post.

The individual receiving the majority of the votes cast in the primary will become the next Supervisor of Elections.

Individuals who are not registered to vote, or who plan to switch their party affiliation, have until July 28 to register for the primary election, and until Oct. 6 to register for the general election.

The following is a campaign announcements provided by Ida Elliott.

My name is Ida Cooper Elliott and I am seeking the office of Franklin County Supervisor of Elections.

I have worked in the Elections Office since 1979 and currently hold the position of Assistant Supervisor of Elections.

It has been my privilege to work for you while under Doris Shiver Gibbs terms as Supervisor of Elections. It is my goal that the citizens of Franklin County know that under my leadership you can expect the same high standards that you have grown accustomed to over the 28 years under her guidance.

Over the course of my career with the Supervisor's Office, I have become very knowledgeable of the state and federal laws concerning the election process due to the many years of state-approved training dealing with every aspect of the election procedures.

During the past 29 years of service to the citizens of Franklin County, I have had the opportunity to serve in many different phases of the election process. Some of my duties have included training employees and assisting in poll worker training in addition to help to prepare, conduct and finalize local, state and federal elections.

I have had the privilege of running the office at different times during the absence of the Supervisor, which has given me the experience of making decisions and being sure that the office runs smoothly. I am proud of the fact that Franklin County elections are conducted with as much accuracy and integrity as possible, and given the opportunity to serve as your Supervisor, I will continue to strive to keep these standards in place.

If given the chance to serve as your next Supervisor of Elections, I will strive to inform you, the public, on any new changes being implemented in the office. I will make it my priority to be educated in the latest technology. I promise to always operate the elections office with an open door policy and always be available to assist, whether voter or candidate to the best of my ability. I will be ready to serve you from day one with experience, immense knowledge of this position, and a desire to make this office work for you.

I am a lifelong resident of Franklin County and I am the oldest daughter of Charles (Jr.) and Mildred Cooper. I graduated from Apalachicola High School in 1978 and started working in the elections office the following year.

I have been married for 28 years to Mark Elliott, son of Adrienne and the late Gene Elliott. Mark and I have two daughters, Miranda Elliott Ard, who is a recent graduate of Florida State University with a degree in business administration, and Samantha Jill Elliott, who is currently attending Flagler College in Tallahassee, also pursuing a business degree.

Our daughter Miranda, and her husband Tim, are expecting our first grandchild in January of 2009 and we look forward to the new addition to our family.

I am the qualified candidate with 29 years of real hands on election experience. I am committed to conducting a campaign based on the highest integrity and honesty, both of which are extremely important to me. I ask that you would consider me when you cast your ballot for your next Supervisor of Elections.

Vote for Ida Cooper Elliott for Supervisor of Elections on August 26, 2008.

Vote Absentee, Vote Early or Vote at the Polls and make your voice heard for Franklin County.

Elliott can be reached at 653-9738 or at franklinida@hotmail.com