Amy Pennock
Editor’s note: This profile has been corrected since publication to note that Pennock and Poulalion are both challengers in the race for SOE as the incumbent, Chris Anderson, was defeated in the primary election.
Amy Pennock, 53, is not seeking re-election to the Seminole County School Board. She defeated incumbent Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson in the primary election and is now running against challenger Deborah Poulalion for the SOE seat. She was first elected to the School Board in 2018, and served as its chair from 2021 to 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 is 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 volunteered for multiple nonprofit organizations in the area, including Second Harvest Food Bank and Goodwill of Central Florida.
According to Voter Focus, Pennock has raised $112,261.41 and spent $95,223.37.
OCN Q&A
OCN created a profile for each candidate and sent each candidate a list of questions that we created based on input from residents of Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs. Each candidate within a specific race got the same list of questions at the same time and had a 50-word limit per question. Answers were only edited for grammar and clarity.
Q: In a time of intense media coverage of issues of voter intimidation, purging of ballots from voter rolls, and investigations into election interference, what will you do to protect the integrity of the electoral process?
A: My first step: Rebuild the trust in the local office, by bringing in the most knowledgeable team. We will create open and transparent lines of communication between the SOE’s office, voters and the media, and provide clear information about how/why decisions are made. Our goal will be to demystify the process and build trust.
Q: Do you believe that access to information about local elections needs to increase? If yes, what would you do to increase access?
A: Yes, access to information about local elections must increase. I will enhance voter outreach through community partnerships, digital platforms, and use of media. By providing clear, timely, and accessible information in multiple formats, I will ensure that all voters are well-informed about the election process.
Q: What additional security measures, if any, do you believe ought to be in place to ensure a fair and secure election?
A: I support enhanced poll worker training, increased monitoring at voting locations, and secure, transparent methods for ballot handling. Additionally, expanding voter education on recognizing and reporting fraud, along with regular audits of election procedures, will ensure a fair and secure election process.
Q: What measures would you implement, if any, to increase access to local elections for voters? Please outline what would need to be done to execute such a plan.
A: The biggest challenge I have seen this elections period is the lack of awareness of upcoming elections. I would like to launch targeted outreach to ensure voter awareness and have equal access to voting opportunities. Executing this requires collaboration with local government, securing funding, and training staff/volunteers.
Q: Right now, the supervisor of elections’ name is in the SOE’s office logo. Some surrounding counties do this as well, while others don’t. Some residents have argued that this can give an incumbent supervisor an advantage in an election. What are your thoughts on this?
A: I believe the office logo should remain neutral to avoid any perception of bias or advantage. The focus should be on serving voters, not promoting any individual. Removing the elected supervisor’s name from the logo ensures fairness and reinforces trust in the office’s impartiality during elections.
Q: Currently, only the local candidates running for upcoming elections are on the Supervisor of Elections’ website. Voters have to go to other websites to see the candidates who are running on the state and federal level but who represent voters in our county. The ballot amendments are also not listed on the SOE website. Do you believe that practice should continue or do you believe that everything that will be on the ballot should be on the SOE website ahead of an election? Please explain your answer.
A: I believe everything that will appear on the ballot should be listed on the SOEs’ website. Providing complete information, including state and federal candidates and amendments, ensures transparency and helps voters make informed decisions. It’s vital to offer a centralized, accessible resource for all ballot information.
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