Vote-by-mail ballots are making their way to Broward County voters’ mailboxes starting Monday while Miami-Dade vote-by-mail ballots started mailing out this past weekend.
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The ballots are for the state’s primary elections taking place on Aug. 18. Here are important dates voters need to know before they cast their ballot:
July 20
This is the last day to register to vote or change your party affiliation, but why does this matter?
According to the National Vote At Home Institute, in 2024 only 23% of the U.S. voters cast their ballot for primary elections. With vote-by-mail ballots it makes the process more convenient for voters to be more active within an election cycle.
Another important note is that Florida is a closed primary state, meaning that only members of a party can vote within their party to see who will appear on the general ballot. So, if you feel like you want to change political parties, now is the time do so. If not, you are stuck picking candidates that you might not align with.
Note: Broward County is hosting nonpartisan elections, meaning political party affiliation does not matter.
August 6
This is the last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Broward and Miami-Dade County have already started sending out ballots, but it’s not too late.
According to USA Facts, in 2024 29% of voters nationally cast their ballot by mail.
While some people like the feeling of going to their local library or church to cast their vote, some people on election day are too busy at work or running errands. Submitting your choice by mail is easy and can lead to early voting.
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August 8-16 (Broward) August 3-16 (Miami-Dade)
This is the early voting window. Despite the south ranking low on using mail in ballots, they rank the highest on early voting turn-out.
What to know about the primary
In the Republican primary, the governor’s race is heated with nearly a dozen candidates running to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited.
Republican Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez have no opponent in their primary races. Maria Elvira Salazar does but her real contest is expected in November’s general election.
“Democrats are making a concerted effort to try and flip the seat currently held by Maria Elvira Salazar, Elliot Rodriguez appears to be the leading Democratic candidate,” said NBC6 political analyst Alex Penelas.
The Democrats’ primary field is also crowded with familiar names and faces looking to face the Republican nominee for governor and other seeking to replace retiring congresswoman Federica Wilson in a Miami district.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz faces stiff competition, taking on several Black candidates in a Broward district which has been held traditionally by a Black member of congress.
Voters in Miami will be asked to amend the city charter by moving city commission elections to even numbered years to align with gubernatorial and presidential races and to increase voter turnout.
In Broward, five school board seats are up for election. A district with more than 250,000 students, these positions impact many.
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