JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – The final push to Election Day on Nov. 5 is bringing many voters out, including Mayor Donna Deegan.
Deegan cast her vote at a Neptune Beach polling location early Friday morning.
“I want everyone in Jacksonville to feel safe to vote their values and to come to the polling place and be safe to vote their values, that is America,” Deegan said to the media after voting.
Deegan voted at the same location where Caleb Williams, 18, was arrested and then charged with voter intimidation after police said he pulled out a machete a waved it at supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris.
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“It was extraordinarily upsetting when I saw that and I hope that is the only incident we see,” Deegan said.
But it’s not the only issue surrounding elections in Duval County.
Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland shared a text he got calling him a “Nazi,” and another that someone sent with his son’s and grandchildren’s addresses.
This after he said someone tried to go into a polling location after hours and film inside but was told they couldn’t.
He said the election office is dedicated to being there for the majority of people who just want to use their voice.
“We have had almost 200,000 voters have already cast their vote in Duval County and they are not deterred, and I respect that and admire that. Show everyone you have a voice,” Holland said.
Mayor Deegan offered this for people who still have not come out to vote.
“We obviously have our emergency teams working on security and monitoring everything but at the end of the day, everyone in this office and all the voting precincts around the city are very heightened to this,” she said.