Yes, there are elections this November in Miami-Dade. Here’s what voters need to know
Election Day 2023 is almost here, though it may not be common knowledge, with no race for president, governor, or even state house on the ballot. Only a handful of cities across Miami-Dade will participate.
But for the tens of thousands of voters who do have decisions to make on Nov. 7, here’s information on when, where and how to vote.
Who is voting?
Hialeah, Homestead, Miami, Miami Beach and Surfside are holding elections on Nov. 7. In some of these cities, only residents in specific neighborhoods will be voting. (See below for tips on how to determine whether that includes you.)
CHECK OUT THE MIAMI HERALD VOTER GUIDE
What’s on the ballot?
In Hialeah, residents will be voting for city council members for Groups I and IV.
For Group I, the candidates are Elias D. Montes de Oca and Councilwoman Monica Nicole Perez.
In Group IV the candidates are Councilwoman Vivian Casáls-Muñoz and Angelica Pacheco.
For information on this election, residents can visit the City of Hialeah’s website.
In Homestead, residents will be voting for city council members for Seats 1, 2, 3 and 6.
For the Seat 1 race, the candidates are Thomas B. Davis, Amy Spadaro and James Wyatt.
In the Seat 2 race, the candidates running are Councilman Sean L. Fletcher and Ana San Roman.
In the Seat 3 race, the candidates are William R. Rea and Councilman Larry Roth.
The candidates running for the Seat 6 position are Clemente Canabal and Toshiba Mitchell.
Residents can visit the City of Homestead’s website for information on the election.
For the City of Miami election, residents will be voting for commissioners in Districts 1, 2 and 4.
The candidates for District 1 include suspended Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Miguel Angel Gabela, Francisco “Frank” Pichel, Mercedes “Merci” Rodriguez and Marvin Tapia.
The candidates for District 2 are Commissioner Sabina Covo, Michael Castro, Gabriela Chirinos, Alicia Kossick, Eddy V. Leal, Damian Pardo, Christi Tasker and James Torres.
The candidates for District 4 include Commissioner Manolo Reyes and Andres “Andy” Vallina.
Voters can look at the City of Miami’s website for more details on this election.
For the Miami Beach election, residents will elect a new mayor and new commissioners for Groups IV, V and VI.
The candidates running for mayor are Michael Gongora, Mike Grieco, Commissioner Steven Meiner and Bill Roedy.
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In Group IV, the candidates are Andres Asion and Tanya Katzoff Bhatt.
In Group V, the candidates are Mitch Novick and David Suarez.
The candidates in Group VI are Joe Magazine and Marcella Novela.
READ MORE: Here’s where the candidates for Miami Beach mayor and commissioner stand on key issues
To learn more about this election, residents can visit the City of Miami Beach website.
Surfside residents will be voting on five different ballot questions.
Voters are being asked to decide if they want to double the length of terms awarded to city commissioners, require that the winner of the mayor’s race receive more than 50% support and if they want to create a process to remove commissioners who fall out of compliance with the town’s residency requirements for elected officials, among other issues.
For more information on the Surfside special election, visit the town’s website.
Can I vote early?
Unlike in presidential and midterm years, early voting hours and days vary from city to city. Here’s information on early voting for each of the upcoming elections:
For the Hialeah election, the John F. Kennedy Library at 190 West 49th St. will be open Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m and Nov. 4 to Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For the Homestead election, William F. Dickinson Community Center at 1601 North Krome Ave. will be open on Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m, Nov. 3 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m and Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For Miami, the early voting schedule will be Oct. 28 to Nov. 5 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. The early voting locations are the Allapattah Library, Shenandoah Library, Miami City Hall, Lemon City Library, West Flagler Library and the Stephen P. Clark Center.
For Miami Beach, the early voting schedule is Oct. 23 to Oct. 27 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m; Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m; Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m; and Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Voters can cast their ballots early in the first floor conference room at Miami Beach City Hall at 1700 Convention Center Dr. and at the North Shore Library at 7501 Collins Ave.
There is no early voting in Surfside this election.
How do I vote by mail?
Voters who have requested mail ballots in the past should probably have already received their vote-by-mail ballot this year if they were slated to receive one, and should check with the elections department to make sure they have an active request on file. Due to changes to state law, many past requests have expired.
Voters can request vote-by-mail ballots from the county elections department online. Voters can also fill out a paper form and mail it to the following address: Vote-by-Mail Ballot Section Supervisor of Elections P.O. Box 521250 Miami, FL 33152
Oct. 26 is the deadline to request a mail ballot for any of the mentioned Nov. 7 elections.
Where do I vote on Election Day?
Election Day is Nov. 7 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your assigned precinct location. Some voters may find that their Election Day polling location has changed. Residents who plan to vote on Election Day can review their information here or call the elections department at 305-499-VOTE (8683).
Make sure to bring a valid ID with you on Election Day. Without it, you will not be able to vote. For more information about what forms of identification are acceptable, visit the county’s website.
Am I eligible to vote?
In order to vote in the upcoming elections, you must be 18 years of age or older, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Miami-Dade County. To check to see if you’re eligible to vote or to check your voter information, you can go to the county’s website.
