On Tuesday, March 19, much of South Florida will get the chance to make their voices heard through the ballot box.
Although the presidential race has taken center stage, only Republican candidates for that race will be on the ballot — and one that will be purely symbolic.
More importantly, several local elections are taking place in South Florida today — with many keys races at play. Several municipalities are hoping to find their next mayor and fill seats on their commissions. Meanwhile, others have referendums on the ballot that propose charter amendments.
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Before heading to the polls, take note of some important information on precinct changes, mail ballots and municipal elections in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County. Monroe County isn't hosting any local elections.
Precincts are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Voting on the presidential primary
Florida is a closed primary state. That means only registered voters of a political party will be allowed to cast a ballot for their respective party's candidate. In other words, if you're a registered voter with no party affiliation or NPA, you will not be eligible to vote in a primary election.
This year, only registered Republicans in Florida can participate in the primaries. Although there will be other names on that ballot, Donald Trump is the only candidate still running and has already secured enough delegates to clinch the nomination.
The Democratic ticket has gone largely unchallenged with incumbent President Joe Biden running as the only major candidate. The Florida Democratic party voted to only place Biden on the ballot and decided to cancel the state presidential primary.
What to bring on Election Day
A current and valid photo identification with a signature. Approved forms of photo ID include:
- Florida driver's license
- A Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- U.S. passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification
- Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to § 790.06 F.S.
- Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality
If the photo identification does not have a signature, you must provide additional identification with your signature. Voters can also request language accommodations and accessible voting for people with disabilities.
Broward County
In Broward County, there are mayoral and commissioner races for Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and Pembroke Pines. Voters are looking to fill two commission seats in each of these races. Hillsboro Beach is also holding an at-large race for town commission seats. And Sea Ranch Lakes residents will vote on two referendums.
Find your precinct and sample ballot here.
If your precinct code is either J009, R001 or R002, your precinct locations have changed as of March 4, 2024.
Miami-Dade County
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail and early voting in Miami-Dade County has passed. You can vote in-person on Tuesday, March 19, at your designated polling place. Find your precinct here and your sample ballot here.
There is also a mayoral race happening in Surfside. Voters there will decide on who will take up four commission seats. Current Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger is running against his predecessor, Charles Burkett. Burkett served during the collapse of the Champlain Towers South and lost his seat by fewer than 40 votes last election.
The terms are for two years.
In South Miami, voters will vote on a referendum that proposes changes to the city charter. Find a voters guide from the Supervisor of Elections office in English, Español and Kreyòl.
Monroe County
Monroe County is not hosting any municipal elections, just the presidential primary.
Find your precinct here and your sample ballot here.
Palm Beach County
In Palm Beach, more than 20 municipalities will be hosting local elections on Tuesday including: Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Highland Beach, Hypoluxo, Juno Beach, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Loxahatchee Groves, North Palm Beach, Ocean Ridge, Pahokee, Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Royal Palm Beach, South Bay, Tequesta, Wellington and West Palm Beach.
These cities and towns have to fill a slew of council, commission and mayoral seats. Find your precinct here and your sample ballot here.
Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Juno Beach, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Pahokee, Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Wellington each have referendums on their respective ballots.
Mail ballots
If a voter has waited until Election Day to submit their ballot, they cannot drop ballots at their local precinct or early voting site. Instead, they must drop it off at the following locations in your respective county no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day:
- Miami-Dade Elections Department located at 2700 NW 87th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33172
- Stephen P. Clark Center, Elections Branch Office, 111 NW 1st Street, Lobby, Miami, Florida 33128
- Broward County Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave. Room #102, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
- Voting Equipment Center, 1501 NW 40th Avenue, Lauderhill, FL, 33313 (Entrance In the back of the Lauderhill Mall)
- Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Main Office: 240 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415 P.O. Box 22309, West Palm Beach, FL 33416
