Manatee County Blocks Nonpartisan Voter Guides in Libraries

The League of Women Voters of Manatee County was told for the first time this year that it cannot distribute its nonpartisan voter guides in county-owned public libraries.

The change affects printed materials that contain general voter information and verbatim responses from candidates in local races. These guides were distributed in the same libraries through 2024 without reported issues. County staff cited a long-standing policy limiting political display material to justify the ban. Casey Zempel, a Manatee County spokesperson, stated the rule ensures consistent and viewpoint-neutral standards for outside organizations using public facilities.

County staff applied restrictions originally written for political petitioning to library displays. A 2017 memorandum from the county attorney's office addresses campaigning in public libraries. Zempel said the same restrictions now apply to materials placed in library displays. The county argued this approach prevents the facility from being used to promote specific viewpoints while allowing staff to focus on services.

The League of Women Voters was also prohibited from hanging flyers advertising informational events. Emails between the nonprofit and county staff showed the flyers were banned due to their political nature. These events were scheduled to review 2026 constitutional amendments. Ruth Harenchar, president of the local League chapter, said volunteers were surprised to learn their guides violated policy. She noted that restrictions on civic information appear to have increased in recent years without public discussion.

Commissioners discussed the issue during a regular meeting on July 28. Chairman Tal Siddique expressed concern that allowing one nonprofit to distribute information would require allowing every group to do so. Siddique said this could burden staff. He stated it is easier to deny everyone and allow distribution outside the library or via websites. He favorably viewed a policy that keeps campaign material out of the library, regardless of whether it is partisan.

Commissioner George Kruse disagreed with the chair's position. Kruse stated his opposition to the current approach during the meeting. The board has not voted on a specific policy regarding library displays. The ban takes effect ahead of the 2026 primary election. Palm Beach County recently reversed a similar ban after public pushback.

The League of Women Voters asked commissioners to reconsider the policy in a public forum. Harenchar urged the board to address the restrictions openly. The county maintained that its actions were intended to manage facilities fairly. The dispute centers on how the county defines political material in a neutral space.