CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Voters will only use mail-in ballots for an upcoming special election in Coral Gables.

Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia and Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago spoke about it at the former’s warehouse in Doral, as ballots were loaded in for mailing.

The upcoming election, in which city voters will weigh in on several referendums, is on April 21.

Local 10 News asked Garcia, a Republican, why the referenda are vote-by-mail-only, considering that so many in her party have questioned the validity of postal voting.

“By state law we can do mail ballot elections only for questions,” she said. “And you know, it’s a cost savings. Once we receive the ballots, we will verify the address (and) the signature.”

Lago said the referenda are a cheap way to ensure he doesn’t extend his own term.

“People elected me to serve for a two-year term. They didn’t elect me to serve for a three-and-a-half year term,” he said. “So at the end of the day, I said, and I brought it before my colleagues, let’s have a referendum vote this April, next month, and we can do it on paper ballots, saving money, and by that, I would lose time for my term, which I think is the most appropriate thing to do.”

The last day to register for the upcoming special election is March 23 and the deadline for the office to receive the mail in ballots is April 21.

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