The polls at Bay Oaks Recreation Center were bustling as voters participated in the first recall election in Fort Myers Beach history. More than 1,500 people have already cast their ballots. Unofficial results show that voters chose to recall both Council Members John King and Karen Woodson. Although Councilman King's name was on the ballot, a judge had previously ruled that his recall votes would not count due to insufficient evidence.
With election day and votes by mail counted, Woodson received 63% of the vote, calling for her removal.
The ballot question over King's removal received a similar amount of support. Polls at Bay Oaks Recreation Center, the only polling location on the island, remained open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
The recall election began months ago when a group of citizens formed a recall committee and gathered enough verified signatures to trigger this vote. Supporters cited concerns about the Seagate Development vote, alleged Sunshine Law violations, and claims of unreported gifts. On the same ballot, voters could choose from three candidates—Tom Brady, Rebecca Link, and Ed Rood—who could fill any vacant seats.
With election day and votes by mail counted, Link and Brady are the top two vote-getters, separated by fewer than a dozen votes.
In a statement to WINK News, the supervisor of elections said a recount will be held on Friday.
"These are preliminary, unofficial election results. An official determination for a recount will be made on Friday after we vet provisional ballots and submit first unofficial results," the statement read.
Cindy Johnson, a Fort Myers Beach resident who has been involved since the start, emphasized the importance of the movement. "This is actually an effort to save our community and Fort Myers Beach," said Johnson. "Without their community, we wouldn't be that eclectic place that we are. We'd be a bunch of transients and with no community, who's going to volunteer for all the things that these residents have been doing all these years and made Fort Myers Beach what it was and is."