Miami-Dade mails more than 168,000 vote-by-mail ballots for August primary
More than 168,000 Miami-Dade vote-by-mail ballots went out July 9, and voters have until Aug. 6 to request one for the Aug. 18 primary.
On July 9, Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia’s office began mailing vote-by-mail ballots to voters who already had requests on file, sending about 168,000 ballots. Voters who still want to use a mail ballot for the Aug. 18 primary have until Aug. 6 to make that request, and completed ballots must be back in the hands of the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Miami-Dade has 1,639,185 registered voters, and vote-by-mail requests expire after every general election every two years, which means many voters must file a fresh request before this primary.
For voters who plan to go in person, early voting runs from Aug. 3 through Aug. 16. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Aug. 3-7, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 8-9, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 10-14, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 15-16. Registered voters may cast a ballot at any county early-voting site, and a secure ballot intake station will be staffed at each location during voting hours. Sites include Coral Gables Branch Library, Kendale Lakes Branch Library, North Shore Branch Library, Stephen P. Clark Center in downtown Miami, and the Joseph Caleb Center Community Meeting Room after the South Dade site’s temporary move.
The ballot includes the U.S. Senate race, congressional districts 24 through 28, state House districts 106, 108, 109, 113, 115, 116, 117, 118 and 119, plus county commission districts 2, 5 and 8 and school board districts 1 and 8. Florida remains a closed primary state, so most voters can only choose among the candidates in their own party’s primary, although universal primary contests allow all eligible voters to participate in some races.
Mail ballots are not forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service to a new address, and a separate statewide request form is required if a ballot should go somewhere other than the address on file, with a signature required in most cases. Voters should mail ballots back early so staff can reach them if a signature problem comes up, and the elections website lets voters track ballot status and review customized sample ballots before voting.
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