With polls opening Tuesday morning, Vero Beach City Council candidate, Amelia Graves, and her supporters spent the weekend knocking on doors and placing phone calls to likely voters.
Amelia’s mother and aunt were in New York City over the weekend supporting members of “Team Fox,” who ran in the New York City Marathon to raise money for Parkinson’s research. At least for as long as it took to snap a picture, Michael J. Fox joined “Team Graves,” holding one of her campaign signs.
Though Graves and Richard Winger lead by a wide margin in two online polls, those surveys are essentially no more than straw polls. At least one statistically valid sampling of likely voters indicates the election will be close between Graves, Winger and Tracy Carroll, with Brian Heady and Joseph Guffanti polling fourth and fifth respectively. With just one day to go before the polls open, all three campaigns are now focused on encouraging their supporters to actually turn out and vote. Historically, voter participation is notoriously low in off-year municipal elections.
In an article published Sunday, Press Journal columnist, Russ Lemmon, predicted Winger will receive the most votes, with Graves coming in second, just ahead of Tracy Carroll.
If Carroll does not lead in the final vote count, it will not be for a lack of money. Between what her own campaign has raised, and the $28,000 Florida Power & Light has contributed to her re-election effort, Carroll and her supporters will have spent more than the other four candidates combined. If voter turn out is low in this off-year election, as is expected, Carroll and her sponsor, FPL, may wind up spending $20 or more per vote.
Indian River Guardian 
I wonder when candidates will realize that you can’t buy elections anymore. All of these people helping Amelia are volunteers. She spent zero dollars on direct, face to face, voter contact. There’s something to be said about a candidate that can get dozens of people to come out and knock on doors on their behalf.
The real test for the Graves supporters will be in getting people out to vote. Voting in a non-election year when only one local issue is on the ballot will unfortunately likely produce a very low voter turnout.
Tracy Carroll could get way more than a dozen. They would all be FPL employees on the clock, but who’s checking IDs.
There in lies the misconception – there ARE NO ISSUES ON THE BALLOT. It is a vote for who one believes will be the best suited city council person. Look at the ballot – only names are there.
If one believes only one issue matters then the pro FPL group has won the propaganda race.
The City of Vero Beach has numerous issues affecting those of us who are city residents among which are short-term rentals, water and sewer rates, protection of public green spaces, safe well maintained roads and sidewalks, police services, friendly work-business environment and more.
The only issue with electric is how low can it go and who provides best service at reasonable rates.
Pat, What do you mean when you say there is only one issue on the ballot?
The only issue is the selection of membership of the City Council.
Candidates are people not issues. We get what we have in some on the city council when voters vote based on a sole issue without considering where that candidate stands on real issues facing the city.
Know your candidates. Please vote for those who respect Vero Beach, her residents and neighbors; vote for candidates who respect the law and city code; vote for candidates willing to place others needs ahead of their own.
This is not a one issue election cycle.