Sample Ballot Mistake in Orange County Impacts Almost 89,000 Voters in House District 40 Special Election

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – It is extremely important for those who received a sample ballot from the Orange County Supervisor of Elections to thoroughly examine it. Around 89,000 voters received these ballots in preparation for next month’s House District 40 Special General Election, but a major mistake has been detected.

District 40 is situated in Northwest Orange County, starting on the western side of I-4 at College Park and including areas such as Rosemount, Lockhart, Mercy Drive, the Fairgrounds, Pine Hills, and Ocoee.

RaShon Young, the Democratic nominee for the House District 40 special election, spoke out about the issue.

“Because of this, we are going to work harder,” Young told News 6.

Unfortunately, almost 89,000 voters who got a sample ballot over the past weekend will not find Young’s name on it. Instead, the name of Travaris McCurdy, whom Young defeated in the June 24th Democratic Special Election Primary, is mistakenly printed on the ballot.

This shocking mistake originates from the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office, led by Karen Castor Dentel.

Young mentioned to News 6, “I realized the issue after checking my mailbox and noticing the mistake on my sample ballot. However, my team contacted the supervisor’s office, and within an hour, she reached out to me to ensure they are working on the correction.”

When asked for an interview, Supervisor Karen Castor Dentel emphasized that her priorities are on fixing the error. Her spokesperson, Blake Summerlin, clarified, “We are pleased to explain it’s a printing mistake; it happened here internally and not due to any fault of our vendors. We’ve identified the cause and are addressing the issue.”

Regarding the cost of the correction, Summerlin estimated, “I would guess it will be around $25,000, considering postage and all associated expenses.”

RaShon Young has served as Chief of Staff to State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis for the past three years and is now running to succeed her. Davis herself is also a candidate on this special election ballot for Senate District 15.

On why this special election is taking place, LaVon Bracy Davis stated, “I ran for Senate District 15. I was successful in my primary, and candidate Rayshon Young ran for my seat. That was part of my succession plan and his succession plan when that time became available. We are in a special election because of the untimely death of Senator Geraldine Thompson.”

Voters affected by the printing error should expect to receive a corrected sample ballot prior to the start of early voting on August 23. Election Day is set for September 2.

Voters are urged to review their ballots carefully and stay informed about the upcoming special election to ensure their votes are properly cast and counted.