More than 416,000 votes have already been cast in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe, three counties in South Florida where voter turnout continues to rise ahead of the midterm elections on November 3, with registered Democratic voters leading the mobilization.
The figure was released this Sunday by Local 10, which documented electoral activity in the southern part of the state and the participation of residents in community events organized to promote voting. The report includes both ballots sent by mail and those submitted in person during early voting.
Registered voters in the Democratic Party represent the largest group of accumulated participation in those three counties, although Republicans and unaffiliated voters are also heading to the polls.
This difference does not mean that the Democratic candidates are winning the elections, but rather that the statistics identify the party affiliation of those who have already voted, without revealing which candidates they supported. The contents of the ballots remain confidential until the official counting.
In Miami-Dade and Monroe, the predominant method so far has been voting by mail, while in Broward, most ballots have been submitted in person at early voting centers.
The mobilization was made visible this weekend in Pompano Beach, where a non-partisan community event called Souls to the Polls was held, an initiative aimed at facilitating and promoting electoral participation.
"It is a way to exercise your voice and your rights," expressed Katrice Johnson, affiliated with the organization, during the event.
Among the attendees, some voters expressed concern about the issues affecting their communities and urged candidates to stay in touch with citizens regardless of their political affiliation.
"I don't care if you're a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. You will have to serve and maintain a real connection with the community," stated voter Angela Deal.
The voter also expressed her hope that young people will participate en masse in the elections, although the current figures do not yet allow for a clear prediction of what the final turnout at the polls will be.
The activity in South Florida is part of a broader mobilization across the state, where millions of voters have already exercised their right to vote ahead of Election Day.
According to the official statistics from the Florida Division of Elections, the state data compiled on October 24 recorded 1,310,451 mail-in votes and 1,001,058 early in-person votes, for a total of 2,311,509 ballots issued prior to Election Day.
In that balance, Democratic voters had returned 561,525 mail-in ballots, compared to 469,900 from Republicans. The distribution was different among those who voted in person: 442,762 Republicans and 362,723 Democrats.
The data shows that Democrats maintained a higher mail-in voting participation, while Republicans led in in-person early voting across Florida.
This difference between modalities is not new. In previous electoral processes, distinct behaviors have also been observed among voters of both parties, making it essential to consider both modalities before comparing participation.
On Friday, CBS Miami, with information from News Service of Florida, reported that more than 1.6 million Floridians had already voted, which represented 11.7% of the approximately 13.7 million registered voters in the state.
In that election, Democratic voters maintained a narrow lead in overall turnout, despite Republicans having approximately 1.5 million more registered voters in Florida.
The difference between voter registration and actual participation is relevant for analyzing the mobilization of each party, but it does not allow us to determine which candidates will receive the most votes on November 3.
In Miami-Dade, where a large Cuban-American community resides, the first mail-in voting reports already showed on October 20 a higher participation from voters registered as Democrats.
As of that date, 37,538 ballots from Democratic voters had been received compared to 28,180 from Republicans, along with 22,381 from unaffiliated voters and 1,692 from other political organizations.
Broward also showed a higher Democratic participation in mail-in voting, with 29,669 ballots compared to 11,228 Republican ones in that same cutoff.
The electoral mobilization is taking place as the campaigns for the governorship of Florida enter their final stretch, with support from national figures from both parties.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump cast their early votes on Saturday in West Palm Beach, as the president continues to support the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Byron Donalds.
Trump and Donalds participated in a campaign event on Friday in Fort Myers, where the president reiterated his support for the Republican candidate.
Former President Barack Obama released a supportive video for Democratic candidate David Jolly, who is running for governor of Florida against Donalds.
The involvement of both former presidents adds national visibility to a race that also includes elections for the federal Congress and numerous state and local positions.
In the country as a whole, early voting had already surpassed 18 million ballots as of last Thursday, with millions of citizens using in-person and mail-in options before the official voting day.
Florida will hold its general elections on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. According to the Florida Department of State, all counties must offer early voting from October 24 to October 31, although they may provide additional days.
Miami-Dade and Broward allow early voting until Sunday, November 1, while Monroe maintains this option until Saturday, October 31, according to the election calendars published for the three counties.
Residents can check the designated centers and their hours through the election supervisor's office in each county. Authorities recommend verifying this information before going, as locations and hours may vary.
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