Voters head to polls Tuesday for off-year election

MIAMI – Voters across South Florida are heading to the polls Tuesday in an off-year election that will decide key races in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Among them is the race for the District 20 U.S. congressional seat once held by longtime Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings, who died earlier this year.

Residents in Broward and Palm Beach counties will decide which democrat and republican will square off in January’s special election to fill his open seat.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL THE RACE RESULTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA AS THEY COME IN.

Also on the ballot are several key mayoral races with residents in Miami Beach, Hialeah, Sunny Isles Beach and Homestead electing their next mayors.

City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is up for re-election, with voters set to decide whether he should serve another four-year term. Commissioner Joe Carollo in Miami’s District 3 is also up for re-election. “This Week in South Florida” recently spoke to two of the candidates vying for the seat.

In Coconut Grove, Toby and Louisa Cobb were two of the very first voters to cast their ballots in-person Tuesday at Precinct 587.

With no crowds, they had no issues. But they wish more residents would take part.

“Of course we wish everybody was civic minded and got involved,” Toby Cobb said. “I think we believe it’s our civic responsibility to get engaged here and vote. We live in the greatest country on the planet.”

Meanwhile, in Miami Beach, voters there will also have a say on a controversial non-binding straw ballot question, asking if the last call for alcohol should be rolled back to 2 a.m.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m.

Below is a list of things to keep in mind on Election Day, provided by Miami-Dade County:

  • Every voter must go to their assigned voting location on Election Day, which can be found on their Voter Information Card, by going to the Elections Department website, or by calling 311.
  • Voters must bring a valid and current identification that contains a photo and their signature.
  • Acceptable forms of ID include: Florida Driver License, Florida Identification Card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, United States Passport, Debit or Credit Card, Military Identification, Student Identification, Retirement Center Identification, Public Assistance Identification, Neighborhood Association Identification, Florida Concealed-Weapon License, Veteran Health Identification Card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or Government Issued Employee Identification.
  • If the voter does not have ID available, they will be asked to vote a provisional ballot.
  • While the current Voter Information Card is not required to vote, it can help expedite the check-in process, therefore, bringing it is always encouraged.
  • Florida law does not allow a voter to turn in their Vote-by-Mail ballot at their assigned precinct on Election Day.

For more information on voting in Miami-Dade County, click here.

For more information on voting in Broward County, click here.

For more information on voting in Monroe County, click here.


About the Authors:

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.