Weekly Dispatch - September 14, 2026
It is striking how divided our country has become in just 25 years. On September 11, 2001, I was teaching a class full of innocent children at Stanley Switlik School. I remember a friend coming into my classroom and whispering to me that our country was under attack. I spent that weekend with close friends in Key West who lived in the Meadows. She was a civilian employee of the Armed Forces, and he served in the Air Force at JIATF. We mourned as we talked about the vicious attack on our country. I had just brought a baby into this troubled world—he was only 10 months old—and I was terrified of the world he would grow up in! Then USA flags started to appear everywhere... drawn on my students' notebooks, on porches, cars, storefronts. We all checked on one another. We gathered. An emptiness was hard to put into words and alongside the grief came an extraordinary sense of connection. For a time, the things that divided us seemed much smaller than the things we shared. 25 years later, we are finding it hard to talk to people who might not agree with us politically because we are a country that has become so divided. We only have 49 days until the November 3rd election. We have got to put our differences aside and continue the work of getting out the vote in Monroe. Our differences as a human species, by the way, are only 1/100th of our genetic sequence. That's right! We aren't THAT different!!! As a species, we biologically are virtually identical to one another at the level of our genes (99.99 %.) And did you know for the August 18th election, the Monroe County Democrats were the 4th highest county for getting our voters to vote?!?! Let's strive to be 1st in the state for the general election, on Nov 3rd! There are 49 days to do the work. Take at least one action today. Make a plan to vote, and talk to your family, friends and neighbors about doing the same! Talk about our shared desire to make this country feel united again. The way it felt after the horrific events on 9/11. Here are some resources to help you do just that!
Important Dates
Monday, October 5, 2026 is the deadline to register to vote or update your party affiliation. Register online in just a few minutes.
Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 5 p.m. is the deadline to submit a request for a ballot to be mailed. Request your ballot as soon as possible. Mailing time lags in the Keys.
October 19–31, 2026 early voting opens. Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monroe County Early Voting Locations
Monroe County Elections Office - 5200 College Rd. Key West
Monroe County Elections Office Branch – 10015 Overseas Hwy. (MM 52.5), Marathon
Monroe County Elections Office Branch - Murray Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Hwy. #137 (MM 102), Key Largo
Big Pine Key Community Park - 31009 Atlantis Dr. - End of Sands Road (MM 31), Big Pine Key
Plantation Key Community Center (old courthouse) - 88820 Overseas Hwy., Plantation Key
Election Day: November 3
This is your last chance to vote! Find your polling location here.
Check your voter registration to be sure it is accurate: MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT GOES TO THE ADDRESS WHERE YOU ARE. It will do you no good to have your ballot mailed to New York if you are in the Keys. And vice versa! IT WILL NOT BE FORWARDED!!! Check here: https://www.votemonroeflkeys.gov/
Our next big push to get support for immigrants in our community is to get more people involved in pushing our elected officials to stop the detainment and inhumane treatment of legal immigrants in the Keys! If you don't know, our neighbors and community members are being detained and terrorized by ICE, CBP and Homeland Security on a daily basis, if not hourly basis. There are a lot of kids up and down the Keys crying for their papa, mama, abuela, abuelo, hermano and or hermana..... This is no way to run a country, state, county, or city. The Keys are better than this!!! Please stand up and make your voice heard. Don't let these families down. Read this article and get involved!
https://open.substack.com/pub/tedlund1/p/advocates-call-on-key-west-residents?r=6kxbln&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
The fourth No Kings Day is coming and this one looks different.
Momentum from previous No Kings events is shifting toward voter participation and election readiness. October 17 is a nationwide day of action focused on making a plan to vote, understanding your voting options, and helping others participate. The Lower Keys Dems will be working a booth at Goombay (Oct 16 and 17) and we could use some more volunteers to set up, work the crowd and get our candidates known, and break down the booth. If you can help, please email me at chair@keysdems.com with "Goombay" as the subject and let me know which day(s) and time(s) you will be there! Thank you!
Reminding everyone that the Lower Keys League of Women Voters would like to invite you to their Constitution Day Event!
Join the Lower Keys League of Women Voters THIS Thursday, September 17, at 11:00 a.m. at the Key West Campus Library of the College of the Florida Keys for a special Constitution Day program. Bring a friend, neighbor, colleague, or family member. Everyone is welcome. We hope you'll join us—not just to celebrate the Constitution, but to help keep civic participation strong in the Florida Keys.
If you emailed me at chair@keysdems.com to let me know that you want to be a poll watcher - thank you! There will be more information coming soon about training and credentials and all that good stuff. If you haven't already emailed me and you would like to be a poll watcher, please do so with POLL WATCHER in the subject line of your email.
Mark your calendars for our October Sunset Sail on the fabulous Argo Navis – 10-8-26! More details to come!!
September Keys Dems Meeting Dates
The Lower Keys Dems will meet on Monday, September 14th at 5:30 p.m. in the back room of Brady's Pub! 1900 Flagler Avenue. See you there!
The Upper Keys Dems meeting has been changed to a Meet and Greet by Keys for Democracy with our democratic candidates on Monday, September 14th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Shrimp Shack (81901 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada) RSVP is requested via text 305.632.6322 or email keysfordemocracy@gmail.com. We hope you'll join us!
The Middle Keys Dems will meet on Wednesday, September 23rd at 5:30 p.m. in the Marathon Public Library with a Zoom option for those who cannot attend in person.
LOCAL MEETINGS TO ATTEND THIS WEEK (Sep 14 - Sep 20)
City of Key West Meeting http://keywest.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Mon - Sep 14
Bahama Village Redevelopment Advisory Committee to be held at City Hall 1300 White Street Key West at 5:30 p.m.
City of Marathon https://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/meetings
Wed - Sep 16
Special Call Marathon City Council Meeting Final Public Hearing for FY 2026-27 Budget at 9805 Overseas Hwy., Marathon, beginning at 5:30 pm
Monroe County Board of County Commissioners https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/
Mon - Sep 14
Final Public Hearing. Adoption of Final Budget and Millage Rate at 5:05 pm in the Harvey Govt Center 1200 Truman Ave 2nd Floor, Key West
Tues - Sep 15
Contractor's Examining Board Hearing (CEB) in the Marathon Government Center - BOCC 2798 Overseas Hwy.2nd Floor, Marathon at 9:30 am
Thurs - Sep 17
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Meeting at 10:00 am in the Harvey Govt Center 1200 Truman Ave 2nd Floor, Key West or via Zoom https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/83300176016
City of Key Colony Beach: https://keycolonybeach.net/citydocs-1/
Thur- Sep 17
KEY COLONY BEACH CITY COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING & PUBLIC HEARING
@ 10:00 AM at the temporary meeting place for the City of Key Colony Beach
The Key Colony Inn – Back Patio, 700 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach
Village of Islamorada Council https://www.islamorada.fl.us/Calendar.aspx
Mon - Sep 14
Local Planning Agency will hold a meeting at 5:30
p.m. at the Founders Park Community Center, 87000 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada
Wed - Sep 16
Historic Preservation Commission will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Islamorada Administrative Center & Public Safety Headquarters, 86800 Overseas Hwy, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Islamorada
Fri - Sep 18
RFP 26-10 TO DEVELOP AND OPERATE A SWIMMING PROGRAM FOR ADULTS AT THE RON LEVY AQUATIC CENTER AT FOUNDERS PARK Bid opening will occur on September 18 at 3:00 P.M. at the Islamorada Administrative Center and Public Safety Headquarters, 86800 Overseas Hwy, 3rd Floor Conference Room, Islamorada
Florida Keys Mosquito Control District: https://keysmosquito.org/board-meetings/
Tues - Sep 15
FKMCD Board Meetings and Minutes Final Budget Hearing FKMCD Marathon Board Room @ 5:05 pm
EVERY Thursday- 4:30-5:30 @ FIRST HORIZON BANK--BIG PINE PROTEST RALLY
SOMBRERO AND OVERSEAS+++ TODAY 4:30---ANTI-ICE PROTEST - Join us!!
ONLY 49 days!!! Let's gooooooooooo!