While some among us are still accustomed to writing 2023 on checks and other documents, the high-stakes and much-hyped 2024 is unfolding, and the clock is ticking toward balloting that will set the course of governments from the city hall and the courthouse to the White House and our local, state and national destinies.

Looking at the federal level, all eyes are on the presidential election, which is part of the climactic general election on Nov. 5. There are more choices for voters than you may realize.

“Looking out on the state website, there are a Libertarian candidate and a No Labels candidate, and there’s an independent and a couple of NPA [No Party Affiliation] write-in candidates,” Volusia County Elections Supervisor Lisa Lewis said.

Lewis noted there are now nine possible presidential candidates for the big ballot this fall, including three who are running as having no political-party affiliation. However, Florida’s primary elections are closed primaries, meaning voters can only have a say on a party’s general election candidate if they are a registered member of that party.

There is an array of parties with which voters may register:

— Boricua Party

— Coalition With a Purpose

— The Conservative Party

— Constitution Party

— The Florida Democratic Party

— Ecology Party

— Florida Forward Party

— Green Party 

— The Independent Party

— No Labels

— Party for Socialism and Liberation

— The People’s Party

— The Republican Party of Florida

The first big balloting event is the Florida Presidential Primary, set for Tuesday, March 19 — now just a little more than two months away.

In addition to voting for the nation’s chief executive, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be up for grabs, and Florida has 28 of those House seats.

There is a U.S. Senate race in the Sunshine State this year, as Republican incumbent and former Gov. Rick Scott seeks another term. Several lesser-known Republicans and Democrats, as well as nonpartisan and minor-party candidates have already lined up to oppose Scott.

The Aug. 20 primary will determine who are the standard-bearers of the two major parties in the congressional races, heading toward the Nov. 5 general election. 

The Aug. 20 balloting will also be Election Day for the Volusia County School Board and county and circuit judgeships, and the primaries will narrow the fields of hopefuls in the County Council races. If more than two candidates seek to be county chair or council members representing Districts 2 and 4, and no candidate wins a majority of votes in the primary, the two candidates in each contest receiving the largest numbers of votes will advance to the general election.

Some cities will have elections Aug. 20, including DeLand, Holly Hill, Ponce Inlet and South Daytona.

Other cities, such as DeBary, Deltona and Orange City, will conduct their elections in conjunction with the general election.

Propositions to amend the Florida Constitution will be on the Nov. 5 ballot. Two of the statewide referendums are products of the Florida Legislature. One ballot question is whether to designate School Board races as partisan contests, and another proposed amendment is to guarantee the rights of Floridians to hunt and fish. Additional constitutional ballot questions could emerge from the current general session of the Legislature.

Meanwhile, petition campaigns to codify abortion rights and to legalize recreational marijuana use are underway. Supporters of abortion rights have collected more than 900,000 signatures of eligible voters — several thousand more than the minimum required — to put the question before the state’s electorate.

As for the Florida Legislature, all 120 seats in the House of Representatives are in play, and half of the 40 state Senate seats. 

The primary will winnow any multiple-candidate races for a party’s nomination and having one’s name on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Closer to home, County Council Districts 2 and 4 will be on the ballot, along with the race for county chair. If three or more candidates vie for any of these particular seats on the council, they will compete in the Aug. 20 primary, and, if no candidate wins a majority, the two candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes will advance to the general election. It should be noted, however, that it is possible for a contender in a multi-candidate race to win outright, if he/she receives a clear majority — 50 percent of the votes, plus one — in the primary. In such a case, the winner of the primary becomes the winner of the general election.

Districts 1, 3 and 5 and the at-large or countywide seat will be up for renewal of their tenure in office in 2026. 

Moreover, voters will decide in November if Florida Supreme Court justices and appellate judges will remain on their benches.

Not least, the races for seats on the West Volusia Hospital Authority and the Volusia Soil and Water Conservation District will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot. 

A note of information or caution for those thinking of embarking on a political career: Florida’s new financial-disclosure law applies to them as well as incumbent officeholders. The state statute requires candidates to give more detailed descriptions of their net worth, sources of income, savings, investments, personal assets or property whose value is $1,000 or greater, along with debts and liabilities.

For those who wonder, amid all the controversy about voting irregularities and allegations of vote fraud, if Volusia County’s elections and their results can be trusted, Lewis says she welcomes people to see for themselves how the process works.

“Here in Volusia County, we’re open and transparent. We welcome anyone to come and watch the testing of the voting equipment. It’s open to the public. Everybody is welcome to come and watch,” she told The Beacon. “The doors are never locked when we’re meeting with the Canvassing Board.”

For those who want a piece of the action, the time to register to vote is now. Always try to stay as informed about the political scene as possible. A full list of Volusia County candidates is available on the Supervisor of Elections website at www.volusiaelections.org. The Beacon’s upcoming voter guides, along with copies of the sample ballots, will also be available to help make tough decisions at the polls.

What’s up for grabs?

Aside from the Oval Office and the various seats up for grabs in the national and state Legislature, here’s a look at the seats that will be up for grabs at the local level and who currently occupies them.

Volusia County — Three seats, those of the county chair and the Districts 3 and 4 representatives, occupied by Jeff Brower, Danny Robins and Troy Kent, respectively, will be decided by voters.

DeLand — Two seats on the City Commission, those occupied by Charles Paiva and Daniel Reed, will be decided by voters.

Deltona — Three seats, Districts 2, 4 and 6, a currently vacant seat and ones occupied by Dana McCool and Jody Lee Storozuk, will be decided by voters.

DeBary — Two seats, those occupied by William Sell and Jim Pappalardo, will be decided by voters.

Lake Helen — Two seats, Zones 2 and 4, occupied by Roger Eckert and Charlene Bishop, will be decided by voters.

Orange City — Four seats, that of the mayor, the vice mayor and Districts 2 and 3, occupied by Mayor Gary Blair, no one following Bill O’Connor’s resignation, Lisa Stafford and Alex Tiamson, will be decided by voters.

Pierson — Two seats, that of Mayor Samuel G.S. Bennett and Council Member Sergia Cardenas, will be decided by voters.

Dates to remember

Between deadlines to register, multiple primary elections and the general election in November, here are some dates to mark on your calendar for 2024.

Floridians must be registered to vote 29 days before an election to cast their ballot. To vote by mail, Floridians must request a vote-by-mail ballot 12 days before an election.

March 19
The Presidential Preference Primary — This is where voters will have the chance to decide who they want to represent their political party of choice in the general election. Florida voters can only have a say in the party they’re registered with.

August 20
Primary Election — This election will winnow down the number of candidates in various races and help determine who makes the General Election ballot.

November 5
General Election — This is the big day, where voters will cast the final votes to decide who will represent them at the municipal all the way up to the national level. This ballot will also include proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution.