by James Coulter
Lake Wales residents may start voting in city elections in November rather than April if city commissioners consider a recommendation to change their election dates.
During their workshop on Wed., Sept. 10, 2025, Lake Wales city commissioners were given a presentation by the Supervisor of Elections, who recommended Lake Wales host their city elections in November.
“This is not mandatory,” said Melony Bell, Supervisor of Elections. “I am not here to tell you that you have to change your elections…I am here to offer suggestions.”
Bell recommended that city elections be held during odd years in November. She claimed the change could increase voter turnout.
“We want better voter turnout because we have veterans that served in war for us to have that right…to stand here in the great United States of America [where] we are able to cast a vote and let our opinion be known,” Bell said.
Under these proposed changes, a single election cycle would save Polk County an estimated $38,000 and Lake Wales an estimated $12,179.
“The benefits would include a reduction in costs and staff time by having an election every two years instead of every year,” explained City Clerk Jennifer Nanek in the workshop minutes. “In 2025, it cost approximately $10,000 to have an election. In the future, this cost may include run-off elections.”
However, one potential downside, as Bell explained, would be that the change to the new voting format could “cause confusion among Lake Wales voters.”
Deputy Mayor Robin asked about the potential legal ramifications of changing the term limits for city commissioners. Nanek explained that “if the terms were changed from three to four years, the commissioners’ terms would need to be staggered.”
These recommended changes would require a charter amendment to change terms from 3 years to 2 or 4 years. This amendment would require voter approval and would be placed on the ballot for Apr. 7, 2026.
