Supervisor of Elections outlines options to shift Apopka municipal elections to November; council hears charter vs. ordinance tradeoffs

Representatives from the Supervisor of Elections' office returned to the Apopka City Council on Feb. 7 to explain how other Florida municipalities moved regular municipal elections to November. Using Orlando as a model, officials said the change there was implemented by ordinance in 2015 rather than by embedding dates in the charter, which provides greater flexibility to adapt dates in the future.

Staff offered two scenarios for Apopka: place a charter‑amendment referendum on the city’s March ballot and, if approved, move the March elections to November 2027 (which would shorten incumbent terms), or hold a special referendum this summer and, if approved, schedule the new municipal election date for November 2025. Supervisor legal counsel Nick Chaney noted both approaches are legally viable and recommended specifying whether election dates are set in the charter or by ordinance; he said Orlando used an ordinance approach for flexibility.

Councilors asked whether incumbent terms would be extended or shortened. The presenters said that in most implementations incumbents' terms are reduced to align with the new schedule, and that prior case law and a constitutional amendment have reduced the risk of successful legal challenges, though litigation remains possible. The Supervisor's office said its staff could support a special summer referendum if the council decided to move forward and urged prompt action to allow adequate lead time for elections administration.

Commissioners asked staff to consider public outreach and legal counsel involvement to craft precise ballot language and timing; no formal council action was taken at the Feb. 7 meeting beyond direction to continue evaluating options and hold public input.