Two candidates for Deltona City Commission say they have been disqualified, but intend to fight to be on the municipal election ballot.
Mayoral candidate Maritza Avila-Vasquez, a city commissioner since 2018, and incumbent Commissioner Stephen Colwell, who is seeking reelection after serving since 2022, shared with The News-Journal copies of letters each received, dated June 25, and headed “NOTICE OF NON-QUALIFICATION.”
“Because the required qualifying papers were incomplete at the close of qualifying, you did not satisfy the qualifying requirements for candidacy for mayor for the Deltona City Commission,” the letter to Avila-Vasquez states. “Accordingly, the City Clerk’s Office will not certify you as a qualified candidate for mayor, and you will not be recognized as a qualified candidate for that office for the applicable election.”
Deltona qualifying paperwork scrutinized
During the week ending June 12, candidates for office across Florida completed their qualifying paperwork. They turned in signatures gathered on petitions, or paid qualifying fees, and signed other documents making them candidates.
For municipal elections, city clerks accepted the paperwork, and candidates were declared qualified or not qualified. When the dust settled in Deltona, three people qualified to run for mayor: the one-term incumbent, Santiago Avila Jr., Jason Voelz, and Avila-Vasquez.
In an interview, Avila-Vasquez said she initially filed paperwork but then was told her forms were outdated. So she returned to City Hall and filled out the proper qualifying documents. She said she was told she did not write the word VOLUSIA on a line requesting the name of her county.
Colwell’s letter includes much of the same language.
“Apparently, I checked a box. I don’t remember checking this box during qualifying,” Colwell said. “There was a form we had to fill out several times because they kept revising it. So I was called back a third time … to fill out this form, which I did. And apparently the box got checked, and it wasn’t caught by the city clerk.”
Colwell and a challenger, Christopher Bellingham, qualified for the commissioner seat in District 5.
Voelz said he has received a notice that his treasurer’s report is being grieved, although he has not received word that he has been disqualified.
It’s unclear what happened to prompt further scrutiny of their paperwork.
Elections supervisor says some ballots have gone to printer
Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Lisa Lewis said she learned of Avila-Vasquez’s disqualification too late for her name to be kept off vote-by-mail ballots. So when voters get their ballots for the Aug. 18 primary, they will get a notice that she is not qualified.
Lewis said she has no say over what names are included on municipal ballots.
“If the city sends me documentation that candidates were disqualified, I am legally (bound) to not put them on the ballot,” she said.
Lewis, who has been Volusia’s elections supervisor for 10 years, said she has never had a city clerk contact her to remove a name from the ballot after qualifying.
Disqualified Deltona candidates vow to fight on
Avila-Vasquez said she believes the qualifying paperwork for every other candidate for city office, including Mayor Avila, is now being challenged.
“This is not right,” she said.
She said Avila is “trying to interfere” with the election, and that someone bought the domain “maritzaformayor.com,” which redirects to Avila’s campaign website.
Avila did not respond to a text message seeking comment.
Colwell’s race — if he somehow is restored as a qualified candidate — won’t be until Nov. 3 because he has just one opponent.
Colwell said his qualifying check has cleared. He doesn’t consider the matter settled.
“I’m going to fight it. It appears to be there’s some election interference,” he said.
The letters are signed by Deltona Clerk Joyce Raftery, who responded to a request for comment June 26 with an out-of-office autoreply. This story will be updated with any new information.
− Mark Harper covers politics, government, and education for The News-Journal, with a focus on Florida, mostly in Volusia County. He can be reached at mark.harper@news-jrnl.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida city refuses to qualify 2 candidates. Fight coming
Reporting by Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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By Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
