Early voting for the Sanford mayor and City Commission elections began last Monday. Nine days from now -- March 8 -- the official election will take place. But until last Wednesday, you wouldn't know it by visiting the Web site of the Seminole Office of Supervisor of Elections.

Before then, there was nothing on the Web site about the Sanford election. No heads up that an election had begun in Seminole County. No candidate information. Zip. Nada.

Newly appointed elections Supervisor Michael Ertel has been on the job a scant two weeks. He said the Web site was not a priority. But the former public-relations executive did find the time and the staff to post his picture on the elections home page.

He scrambled to put together a page on the Sanford election in less than an hour after a phone call -- a full two days after early voting had started.

Mr. Ertel, who has said his office "should be seen by the community as a source of information," failed his first, simple test, which is informing the voting public about elections on a timely basis.

He argued that voters can find information on Sanford's Internet site. That's true. However, the Office of Supervisor of Elections ultimately is responsible for running Seminole elections, and that's where voters logically turn first.

Compare that with Orange County, where eight municipal elections are scheduled. The county's Web site includes a sample ballot and precinct demographic information for each city election. That's good stuff.

The Seminole elections office has been in a state of flux since the November election, when former elections Supervisor Dennis Joyner fell ill. It was not until January that Mr. Joyner, who had been elected to a four-year term, officially resigned, leaving the office without a rudder.

Thirteen candidates applied for the supervisor's job. Mr. Ertel got the governor's nod in part because he came in second in the August primary.

During last year's campaign, Mr. Ertel had ambitious plans for the elections Web site, which he reiterated recently. This includes posting candidate information, as well as linking the county elections page to a candidate's Internet page, if available. These are good ideas.

But the county elections Web site, first and foremost, should contain details for every election taking place in the county -- before early voting is initiated.

That's Elections 101. And it shouldn't require a single call or reminder.