MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Several Colombian voting precincts were open in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties on Sunday.
South Florida is home to some of the largest voting centers for Colombians living abroad.
Hundreds were seen at Miami Dade College’s Kendall campus, which was one of many polling locations that included Hialeah, Weston, Coral Springs and Coral Gables, where some people lined up as early as 5 a.m.
Sunday could be the day Colombian voters decide who will become their next president, but this election is also about the future direction of the country.
Voters are weighing major issues including security, economic policy, and how the government should handle negotiations with guerrilla and other armed groups.
There are 14 different candidates offering different platforms for the country.
According to recent polls in Colombia, there is a strong possibility the election could head to a second-round runoff later this month.
That would happen if no candidate receives more than 50% of the ballots cast.
Polls in South Florida closed at 4 p.m.
Preliminary results indicated the race will advance to a runoff between right-wing outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, a supporter of President Donald Trump, and progressive Sen. Iván Cepeda.
Supporters of Cepeda gathered outside the Coral Gables consulate Sunday evening, expressing disappointment with the first-round results but saying they were not entirely unexpected.
“We saw that coming. We had to be more realistic, but we couldn’t help being optimistic at some point,” said Jeison, a Cepeda supporter.
Videos shared by voters showed large crowds at polling locations across South Florida, including a voting center in Weston.
Carlos Naranjo, co-director of Semillas Colombia, said the region’s sizable Colombian population makes participation in the election particularly significant.
“It’s important because there are many Colombian Americans in this country,” Naranjo said. “There’s about a million Colombian Americans just in the state of Florida. It’s super important for that. It’s also important because of the region.”
ELECTION DAY PRECINCTS
There are three precincts in Miami-Dade County: The Colombian consulate at 280 Aragon Ave., in Coral Gables, Miami Dade College Kendall Campus’s gymnasium at 11011 SW 104 St., and the Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment, at 4800 Palm Ave. in Hialeah.
There are two precincts in Broward County: Cypress Bay High School’s gymnasium at 18600 Vista Park Blvd., in Weston, and Coral Springs High School at 7201 West Sample Road.
There are also precincts at Palm Beach State College’s Public Safety Conference Center at 4200 S Congress Ave., in Lake Worth Beach.
For information about a voter’s assigned precinct in Florida, Colombia has a national database online.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
