Seminole County supervisor of elections candidates

Vying for Seminole County’s supervisor of elections position are incumbent Chris Anderson, current Seminole County School Board member Amy Pennock and Deborah Poulalion, who’s been involved in Seminole County elections and voter advocacy.

Poulalion will not be on the Primary Election ballot because she’s registered democrat but she’ll face either Anderson or Pennock in the General Election, depending on who wins on Aug. 20. Because of this, OCN included her profile and answers to the Q&A below.

What does the supervisor of elections do?

Supervisors of elections are in charge of the election proceedings within their county jurisdiction, which tends to cover the entire county. They’re designated to do so by state law and county charter.  

Examples of what the Supervisor of Elections does: 

• Accepting and certifying local ballot initiatives 
• Sending and receiving mail-in ballots, including to those in the military and overseas 
• Conducting elections, including determining precincts, organizing precinct operations, handling staff and volunteers, and making sure voters are aware of their precincts 
• Qualifying candidates to run for office 
• Receiving campaign finance documents and making them available to the public  
• Registering voters, maintaining voter rolls and removing inactive voters or those who’ve moved 
• Conducting all public elections in the county
• Sending advance notice of elections 

The Seminole County Supervisor of Elections in 2023-2024 fiscal year was paid $180,332.

Candidates (listed in alphabetical order to ensure fairness)

Chris Anderson

Chris Anderson, 42, entered state politics when he ran for Florida House District 28 in 2017, losing that race before he was appointed Seminole County supervisor of elections by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2019 and was elected to a full term in 2020. On his campaign website he describes himself as an Army combat veteran and former law enforcement officer. 

Anderson is a Master Florida Certified Election Professional and completed the Strategy Execution for Public Leadership program from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He describes the goal of the Supervisor of Elections Office as “ensuring your choice counts.” 

He campaigned previously on his background of being raised by a drug-abusing single-father who later died of AIDS, before Anderson joined the military shortly before 9/11. Learn more.

Amy Pennock

Amy Pennock, 53, has decided not to seek re-election to the Seminole County School Board so that she can challenge incumbent Chris Anderson for Seminole County supervisor of elections. She was first elected to the School Board in 2018, and served as its chair from 2021-2022. She’s the mother of three daughters enrolled in Seminole County Schools. 

She holds dual master’s degrees in business administration and in forensic accounting. She’s certified as an internal controls auditor and is a certified fraud examiner, working in senior financial management positions in healthcare and construction. According to her campaign website she hopes to bring her leadership ability and commitment to financial integrity to the Seminole County Elections Office. 
She has also volunteered for a dozen nonprofit organizations in the area, including Second Harvest Food Bank and Goodwill of Central Florida.

Deborah Poulalion 

Deborah Poulalion, 54, has been involved in elections in Seminole County for decades. According to her campaign website she has worked to increase voter registrations and access, advocating for early voting at Seminole State College. She has served on multiple advisory committees helping shape the future of Seminole County. 

She holds a master’s degree in mass communications from the University of Florida, and has moved into data analysis and visualization, working for the Institute of Internal Auditors in Lake Mary as a senior data analyst, according to her Linkedin profile. She’s the mother of two sons who are both Lyman High School and UF graduates. 

As a candidate for the supervisor of elections she plans to improve the enforcement of election security standards, expand early voting, including at Seminole State College campuses, give equal access to voting information in Spanish, plus providing pre-paid postage to return mail-in ballots. Learn more.

Candidate Q&A

The candidates below are the folks who responded to OCN’s Q&A. It was explained to each candidate that the questions were based on voter questions and priorities. The order of and answers started alphabetically and then revolved for fairness.

Q: What will you do to ensure voters’ rights are kept safe in light of recent purges of voters from registration rolls? 

Amy Pennock: I will work hard to protect all voters’ rights, including: 

• Continue to advocate for stronger voter protection laws
• Increase voter education and outreach
• Implement robust review processes
• Improve accessibility to re-register
• Increase collaboration with community organizations
• Increase transparency and accountability

Deborah Poulalion: I would improve the layout of the postcard that notifies voters that they may be removed. I would also try to contact them using email or phone. That being said, it’s natural to have turnover in voter rolls when people move, so some fluctuation should be expected.

Q: What will you do to ensure a safe working environment for poll workers?

Deborah Poulalion: I would make arrangements with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to provide a quick response if a polling place reports threats to a poll worker or disorderly conduct. At the same time, poll worker training should include de-escalation techniques.

Amy Pennock: I would increase safety training and enhance emergency response procedures to ensure poll workers are aware and safe. Continued and increased collaboration with local police agencies to be involved in those trainings, and to provide additional security presence in areas of concern.

Q: What are your thoughts on the integrity of mail-in ballots?

Amy Pennock: Mail-in ballots can increase voter participation but must be carefully managed to prevent fraud. It’s essential to ensure robust security measures and transparent processes to maintain the integrity of our elections and protect against potential abuses.

Deborah Poulalion: Voting by mail helps citizens vote who may not be able to go to the polling place in person. It is good. When a mail ballot is submitted, the signature on the envelope must match the one on file at the elections office. This makes vote-by-mail secure.

Q: What would you do to increase the transparency of the SOE office? For instance, providing one convenient place to find all of the candidates (local, state, federal) who will appear on the ballot? 

Deborah Poulalion: The SOE’s website needs to make it easier for people to see who will be on their ballot. I would go back to the previous policy of posting the name, photo and website for any candidate who will be on the ballot in Seminole County. Voters deserve this.

Amy Pennock: Transparency is built into my values and a large part of my campaign. I will continue to work to build transparency in the office so that the community has the confidence and trust that our elections have been run fair. This needs to happen through increased communication and positive collaboration with the constituents.

Q: How will you work to make elections more accessible to voters?

Amy Pennock: I will work within the confines of the law and the budget to ensure all voters have every opportunity to vote.

Deborah Poulalion: Seminole County has the fewest early voting hours for the primary allowed by state law. We get 64 hours total, compared to 126 hours in Orange and Osceola [counties]. We only get eight hours per day, which prevents working people from voting on weekdays. I would expand the hours.

Q: Will you implement any new measures to ensure that no items are left off of the ballot and that the ballots are accurate?

Deborah Poulalion: Yes! The SOE needs to have a form system that tracks emails so that important requests are not lost. The SOE needs to meet with the city clerks before each election to ensure clear communication about ballot items and processes for city candidates, including campaign finance reports.

Amy Pennock: Absolutely. A simple checklist, which would include checking with the municipalities and counties prior to the ballot printing, will be in my workflow.

Do you have questions or comments about this guide? Contact OCN staff here.

Check our Voter Guide 2024