Press Room

Notice - City of Deltona Candidates

Posted on: June 29, 2026

June 29, 2026

I am in receipt of correspondence from the City Clerk for the City of Deltona announcing the “non-qualification as candidate” for Stephen Colwell and Maritza Vazquez. These letters are dated June 25, 2026, nearly two weeks after the close of the Qualifying Period for the 2026 election. Understandably, these statements have caused many to ask whether Mr. Colwell and Ms. Vazquez will be removed from the ballot in the upcoming election.

As the Supervisor of Elections, I am not the qualifying officer for the City of Deltona, and I do not evaluate the qualifying documents or otherwise deem municipal candidates qualified to run for municipal office in the City of Deltona.  The City of Deltona has designated its City Clerk as the qualifying officer for candidates running for municipal office in the City of Deltona. On June 11, 2026, my office received notification from the City Clerk that Mr. Colwell had qualified as a candidate for District 5 and that Ms. Vazquez had qualified as a candidate for Mayor. The Qualifying Period for the 2026 general election ended on June 12, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.

As the Supervisor of Elections, I do not have the independent authority to unilaterally remove a candidate from the ballot based solely on the City Clerk’s announcement of “non-qualification” after the qualifying period has ended and the candidate’s name is on the ballot. Once a candidate has obtained access to the ballot through qualification, the only way the candidate will be removed is if there is a determination that some constitutional or statutory basis for disqualification has been made. Jones v. Schiller, 345 So. 3d 406, 412 (Fla. 5th DCA 2022). This determination requires judicial adjudication. See Fla. Stat. §99.0211(3). As an election official, I do not have the authority to make such an adjudication. Candidates Vazquez and Colwell will therefore appear on the ballot unless a court order directs otherwise.

Lisa Lewis
Supervisor of Elections

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