Fort Myers Beach Voters Will See a Withdrawn Candidate on Tuesday's Ballot — and Votes for Him Will Not Count
John McLean has withdrawn from the Fort Myers Beach Town Council race, but his withdrawal came too late to remove his name from the November 3 ballot. The Lee County Elections office warns that votes cast for him will be tallied but will not count.
One name on the Fort Myers Beach ballot on Tuesday is not actually a candidate anymore. Town Council candidate John McLean has withdrawn from the race, the Lee County Supervisor of Elections advises — but because the withdrawal came late, his name will still appear on the November 3 ballot alongside the candidates who are still running.
The Elections office's guidance is blunt about what a vote for him does: any votes for a balloted, withdrawn candidate will be tallied but will not count. In a race where four candidates are vying for three Town Council seats, a ballot spent on a withdrawn name is a ballot that does not move the outcome — which makes the warning worth repeating before the polls open, not after they close.
Fort Myers Beach voters who have not yet voted cast their ballots at their assigned precinct on Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Preliminary, unofficial results are expected shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Elections office. Voters unsure of any name on their ballot can check their sample ballot through the Elections office before they go.
