The office of the election supervisor in Miami-Dade began counting the mail-in ballots this Tuesday as part of the Florida 2026 midterm elections, with a workforce of approximately 6,000 employees deployed to support the entire voting process in the county.
The process takes place at the office of the election supervisor and includes several stages: opening of envelopes, duplication of ballots when necessary, scanning using the independent audit system Clear Ballot, and reviewing those ballots that may be invalid.
The counting machines, manufactured by the company ES&S, operate offline, according to supervisor Alina García.
Juan Mendieta, spokesperson for the county's election department, explained to the media the detailed workings of the process, which can extend until November 13, with the official certification of results scheduled for noon on the 16th of that month.
Early voting participation in Miami-Dade reached this day with remarkable figures: by the close of Monday, the county had accumulated over 541,000 early votes, including mail-in ballots and early in-person voting, which accounts for 41% of the 1,313,268 active voters registered.
By noon on this Tuesday, with the first in-person votes of the day counted, the total number of ballots cast in the county exceeded 661,000.
Mail-in ballots could be submitted by 7:00 p.m. this Tuesday at the Doral polling location or at the Stephen P. Clark Center in Miami, but not at regular voting centers.
Alongside the counting, the electoral day proceeded normally in Miami-Dade, where polling places remained open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Only a brief technical failure was reported at the start of the day in Broward County.
Among the Cuban-American lawmakers who went to the polls this Tuesday was Republican Congressman Carlos Giménez from District 28, who expressed confidence in his reelection. "I am confident in my reelection," he stated after casting his vote, and he took the opportunity to reiterate his stance on pressing the Cuban regime and his call for the administration to adjust immigration laws.
On her part, Republican congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, from the 27th District, where she is running for re-election against Democrat Eliott Rodríguez, made statements from the Key Biscayne Community Center. Although she won that district with over 60% in 2024, she acknowledged that the current race is competitive.
The Latino vote, which represents more than one-fifth of Florida's electorate, is emerging as a decisive factor in this election, where voters are also selecting a governor — with Byron Donalds (Republican) facing off against David Jolly (Democrat) — and expressing their opinions on constitutional amendments such as Amendment 3, which proposes significant changes to property taxes.
Unofficial results will begin to be published once the polls close at 7:00 p.m. this Tuesday.
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