Only 7% of registered voters in Miami-Dade have cast their early vote after the first week of the pre-primary process on August 18, according to the report provided this Sunday by the county's Elections Supervisor, Alina García, during a press conference at the Joseph Caleb Center.
“Nobody has cast more than 7% of the votes that have been submitted. We have 1.6 million voters,” stated García, who called the meeting together with representatives from community organizations to encourage participation in the remaining days.
García urged voters not to miss the opportunity. "It doesn't matter your party. What’s important is that you go out and vote. Next week we will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are no excuses," the official stated.
The 23 early voting centers in the county will remain open until August 16, from Monday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the official primary day, Tuesday, August 18, voters will only be able to vote at their designated polling place, not at any center.
García also emphasized that the primaries provide options for voters of all affiliations. "There’s something for everyone. Republicans and Democrats will choose who appears on the ballot in November, and independents will select all the judges, commissioners, and school board members," he explained.
In Broward, early voting kicked off on Saturday and will also run until August 16, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. This county is home to one of the most hotly contested races of the cycle: the Democratic primary for Congressional District 20, redrawn this year, where ten candidates are vying for the nomination.
In Miami-Dade, the ballots include three districts of the County Commission —making direct decisions on transportation, housing, and budget— and two districts of the School Board, which manages the fourth largest public school system in the country. The city of Miami is also consulting on the possible move of its odd-year municipal elections to even years.
Community leaders joined the call to vote during the meeting this Sunday. Juan D'Arce, president of the Spanish League Against Discrimination (SALAD), appealed to the experience of those who emigrated from countries without democratic freedoms: "Voting is very important. Many of us have left countries where voting is limited or not possible because we have lived in a dictatorship, and we now have the opportunity to vote and vote openly."
The event took place three days after the 61st anniversary of the U.S. Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, a law that ensured access to voting for millions of historically excluded citizens.
The primary elections on August 18 are the most significant of the state cycle in years, partly because Governor Ron DeSantis cannot run for reelection due to term limits, which opens up a race for the governorship of Florida without an incumbent.
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