St. Petersburg General Election 2021 Nov. 2 Voting Guide

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — St. Petersburg voters will elect a new mayor and city council members in the 2021 St. Petersburg general election Tuesday, Nov. 2. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

Tuesday's election will decide if Democrat Ken Welch or Republican Robert Blackmon will take over as the city's mayor as incumbent Mayor Rick Kriseman has reached his term limit.

Voters will also select the city council members for district 1, district 2, district 4, district 6 and district 8.

And, voters are asked to approve seven charter amendments that would govern redistricting and other city processes.

Below is the list of candidates you will see on your ballot:
Mayoral Candidates

• Robert G. Blackmon (Registered as Republican)
• Ken Welch (Registered as Democrat)

City Council Districts 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8

• District 1: Copley Gerdes, Bobbie Shay Lee
• District 2: Brandi Gabbard, Kyle Hall (Hall has withdrawn from the race, but his name will still appear on the ballot, according to the Pinellas County Supervisor Elections website.)
• District 4: Lisset Hanewicz, Tom Mullins
• District 6: Gina Driscoll, Mhariel A. Summers
• District 8: Jeff Danner, Richie Floyd

How to Vote in the 2021 St. Petersburg General Election

St. Petersburg residents registered to vote in the city can vote in Tuesday's general election by visiting their polling place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Voters who are in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Residents can look up their polling place and confirm they are registered to vote at Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections. An acceptable ID is required for in-person voting.

Check your precinct and polling location before heading out to cast your vote.

Mail—in ballots requests ended Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. All ballots must be turned in to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m., Nov. 2.

Where to View Results

Once polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, unofficial election results will begin to appear on the Pinellas County Supervisors website. Check back with Patch as we provide coverage of the St. Petersburg mayoral and city council election results.

More election information: St. Pete Election

Residents Will Also Vote On Seven Charter Amendments:

• No. 1 Charter Amendment—Ballot language: Limiting City Council Elections to Voters in the Applicable Council District and Making Related Changes Currently, City Council Members are elected through primary elections limited to voters in the Council district and general elections open to all City voters. Shall the Charter be amended to (i) limit primary and general elections for Council Members to voters in the Council district, thereby eliminating City-wide voting for Council Members; (ii) allow a candidate receiving more than 50 percent of votes in the primary to be elected; and (iii) make other clarifying changes?
• No. 2 Charter Amendment—Establishing new process for drawing district boundaries for election of city council members—Ballot: Shall the city create a new process for establishing city council district boundaries that (i) uses comprehensive standards for drawing equitable district boundaries; (ii) has requirements and restrictions for appointment, service, communication, and and accepting public comment; and (iii) requires city council to be bound by commission recommendations unless inconsistent with applicable law? The new process would occur every ten years and maintain the existing nine-member citizens commission appointed by the mayor and council members.
• No. 3 Charter Amendment — City Equity Officer—Ballot: Analysis of demographic and economic date for Pinellas County indicates that the region's economy would benefit from eliminating equity gaps based on race, ethnicity, or other immutable characteristic. Shall the City Charter be amended to establish an equity framework intended to address those equity gaps? That framework must include an equity action plan implemented at City-wide and departmental levels, regular assessment and reporting, and the creation of a Chief Equity Officer for the City.

Patch Related Story: St. Pete Election Guide: 7 Amendments On Ballot Explained

• No. 4 Charter Amendment—Establishing a requirement for Charter-protected equity funding—Ballot: Analysis of demographic and economic data for Pinellas County indicates that the region's economy would benefit from eliminating equity gaps based on race, ethnicity, or other immutable characteristics. Shall the City Charter be amended to require that the City designate "Charter-protected equity funding" to address those equity gaps and prevent that funding from being used for other purposes?This amendment would not prohibit the City from funding equity-related initiatives with other unrestricted, funding.
• No. 5 Charter Amendment—Establishing new requirements related to City Administrator,City Clerk, and City Council Administrative Officer—Ballot: The Charter provides requirements and duties for certain City officials appointed by the Mayor with consent of City Council. Shall the Charter be amended to (i) add a residency requirement for the City Administrator; (ii) clarify that theCity Clerk serves both Mayor and Council and may be removed only with consent of both; (iii) provide the City Council Administrative Officer with duties and protections similar to the City Clerk; and (iv) make related changes?
• No. 6 Charter Amendment—Changing the City's Charter-review process to avoid conflict with redistricting and make other improvements—Ballots: Every ten years, the City conducts a Charter-review process to consider the operation of City government and propose amendments to the Charter. Issues occur when the Charter-review process changes the process for redrawing CityCouncil districts because the two processes are scheduled to occur almost simultaneously. Shall the Charter be amended to resolve that scheduling conflict and to make other changes to improve the administration and integrity of the City's Charter-review process?
• No. 7 Charter Amendment— Adding a preamble to describe the spirit of the Charter and the City's governing philosophy—Ballots: Shall the Charter be amended to add a preamble containing a concise statement to describe the spirit of the Charter and the City's governing philosophy? That aspirational statement will describe the City's vision, goals, values, and priorities while acknowledging past shortcomings and promising a renewed and continuing commitment to improving the quality of life for all citizens.

Referendum Question—Providing City Council with the Authority to Grant Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions—Ballot: Shall the City Council of St. Petersburg be authorized to grant, pursuant to s. 3, Art. VII of the State Constitution, property tax exemptions to new businesses and expansions of existing businesses that are expected to create new, full-time jobs in the City of St. Petersburg?

Patch Related Stories:

• St. Pete Election Guide: 7 Amendments On Ballot Explained
• 2 Differing Plans For Future Of Rays Discussed At Mayoral Debate
• LGBTQ Issues, Social Media Slurs Addressed At Mayoral Debate

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