September winding down with elections looming

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- There is a lot that is good about the elections process and things that are not so good.
You would think that in the 21st century -- the digital age -- finding a listing of candidates for every race in Volusia County would be a snap -- easily accessible by Internet search. So unless I'm completely clueless, could somebody please tell me where I could find such a listing?
I wrote to our esteemed Supervisor of Elections, Ann McFall, and she sent me a link that allows me to create a sample ballot for my particular voting district. But that's not what I asked her for. This weekend, I'm going to tell you about two races, in particular, and the circumstances behind them go a long way to show how screwed up the electoral process is. You would think government would make the process as simple as possible for everyone.
The qualifying was a nightmare with two cases ending up in court because of confusion and misinterpretation of the rules. When you see the reporting this weekend, perhaps you'll begin to understand why voters are so turned off. With September coming to a close, you'd think the candidates for office would be clamoring for debates. I can tell you it's like pulling teeth. Some candidates haven't even returned calls on the subject.
We've made it clear that election 2012 is about transparency. The candidates who want to hide behind consultants and avoid dealing with the media will have to answer to the voters. We were the first media outlet to hold public candidate debates during the primary with eight of them on July 21, at the Brannon Center, here in New Smyrna Beach. We were also the first media outlet to hold public candidate debates for the general election earlier this month at the Oak Hill City Hall with three of them. More are planned in October.
We will let you know which candidates refuse to debate and why. This is your election and we want to provide as much information as possible so that you can make informed decisions. After all, there are quite a few issues over the last two years, at least, that candidates need to deal with. They include, but are not limited to the American Music Festival fiasco, the circumstances leading to the hiring of a new director for the Halifax Advertising Authority, the scandal that was the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority and the Bert Fish Hospital merger do-over. There are other issues such as Volusia County being the second highest for taxes, what to do about beach driving, costs for the Ocean Center and county and municipal spending in general.
This is too important an election to let candidates avoid answering the tough questions that need to be answered. Of course, we are a small operation with a limited budget, but we are doing our best to educate and inform the public. As always, your input is welcomed.