The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and his wife Jeanette cast their early votes this Sunday at the Miami-Dade County Elections Department, during the final day of the early voting period for the primaries on August 18.
The county Elections Supervisor, Alina García, personally welcomed the couple upon their arrival and documented the moment on her social media.
"The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and his wife, Jeanette, voted early today at the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. The process was quick and straightforward," García wrote on Facebook.
Additionally, he issued a direct call to residents: "Get out and vote, Miami-Dade! The early voting centers will remain open today until 4 p.m."
The Miami-Dade tax collector, Dariel Fernández, was also present, who described the moment as a civic act of high symbolic value.
"It was an honor to accompany the Miami-Dade County Elections Supervisor, Alina García, in welcoming the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and his wife, Jeanette Rubio, to the Miami-Dade Elections Department while they exercised one of our most important rights as Americans: the right to vote," Fernández wrote on Instagram.
An electoral process with low initial participation
Miami-Dade was the first county in South Florida to enable early voting for this cycle, starting on August 3—before the mandatory period set by law, which runs from August 8 to August 15—and extending it until this Sunday, with 23 centers open throughout the county.
However, participation during the first week was notably low.
According to data provided by García on August 9, only 7% of the 1.6 million registered voters in the county had cast their vote by that time.
"Only 7% of the votes that have been cast have been counted. We have 1.6 million voters," the supervisor noted recently, emphasizing that there were no excuses for not participating given the extended hours available.
What is decided on August 18
The primaries this Tuesday are the most significant of the state electoral cycle in years, partly because Governor Ron DeSantis cannot run for reelection due to constitutional term limits, which opens up a race for the governorship of Florida without an incumbent.
In the Republican ballot for governor are Byron Donalds -the favorite with the support of President Donald Trump- Jay Collins, Paul Renner, and James Fishback.
On the Democratic ballot, David Jolly and Jerry Demings stand out.
The contest for the governorship is taking place alongside other state and federal races in this electoral cycle.
Voters in the city of Miami will also have to weigh in on two referendums:
- Move the municipal elections from odd years to even years, starting in 2034.
- Approve an agreement with Global Spectrum L.P. to reactivate and operate the Miami Marine Stadium for 40 years, with a contribution of 10 million dollars for its restoration.
The symbolic weight of Rubio's vote
Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants, became in January 2025 the first Hispanic to head the Department of State of the United States.
Their participation in the electoral process of Miami-Dade carries additional significance for the Cuban exile community, which has historically viewed voting as a hard-won achievement that should not be taken for granted.
That dimension was precisely the one highlighted by Juan D'Arce, president of the Spanish League Against Discrimination (SALAD), during a press conference held on August 9:
"Voting is very important. Many of us have left countries where voting is limited or where we cannot vote because we have lived under a dictatorship, and now we have the opportunity to vote and to vote openly."
Related videos:
Filed under: