City clerk Susan Bone also presented the City\u00a0Commission\u00a0the\u00a0option\u00a0of holding the early voting period from April 10 to April 12 only,\u00a0estimating that it would save the city $10,900.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the action item\u2019s public comment period, however,\u00a0a few attendees suggested\u00a0only having a\u00a0weekend\u00a0for\u00a0early voting\u00a0would give Moore an advantage over Nesta due to her collaborative agreement with Nelson.\u00a0Others expressed more practical advantages of a weeklong early voting period.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to have our council elected by the majority of the people,\u201d said\u00a0Dr. Phyllis Olmstead, Orange County Soil and Water Conservation Commission Seat 3. \u201cAlso, we need to have more time choices for people who are working, and they work on different days.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Nesta motioned for the weeklong\u00a0option, with Commission Alexander Smith seconding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nesta received\u00a03,365 total votes\u00a0for mayor on March 10,\u00a0representing\u00a041.62% of all votes in the 2026 mayoral race. Moore placed second with 2,574 votes, giving her a percentage of 31.83%.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both candidates are\u00a0vying for\u00a0Nelson\u2019s\u00a02,147 voters\u00a0to get to\u00a050%\u00a0in the runoff, although most observers expect a lower turnout.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRunoffs typically are going to be much less [attended], so you\u2019re probably talking 10% or 12%,\u201d Aubrey Jewett, an associate professor at the University of Central Florida, told The Apopka Chief on election night. \u201cThat means that both the candidates in the runoff will need to do their best to mobilize their core supporters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jewett\u00a0estimated that 4,000 citizens would vote in the runoff election, meaning candidates should strive to bring over 2,000 voters each to the polls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you could churn out\u00a02,500 voters, you probably have an excellent chance of winning,\u201d Jewett said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last week, Nelson and Moore\u00a0announced a collaborative agreement<\/a>\u00a0to help Moore defeat Nesta in the runoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI love this city, my lifelong home, and want to contribute any way I can to keep it on the right path,\u201d Nelson said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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