Flash flooding in central and South Florida disrupted Election Day voting, forcing officials to relocate at least 21 polling places across eight counties.
But rain did little to keep voters away from the polls Tuesday morning as residents lined up outside the South Regional/Broward College Library in Pembroke Pines ahead of the 7 a.m. opening.
“These midterms are important for making the laws, the budgets, pretty much responsible for our day-to-day,” said Landon Anderson, 36, a Broward County resident and Democrat. “So I think that being out here and being heard is vital for helping to shape our future.”
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Anderson planned to vote for Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon, who is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Ashley Moody.
“I think (Nixon) represents people who look like me and understands the plight of what we’re going through, and I think she’s really here to make a change,” he said.
A competitive governor's race, new congressional maps and a hot button property tax ballot amendment are among the various issues bringing South Florida voters to the ballot box for the 2026 midterm elections.
Voters like Marilin Mas, a 45-year-old teacher at Pinecrest Preparatory Middle-High School, headed to the polls early on Election Day.
A self-described loyal Democrat, Mas has her eyes on the school board funding referendum in Miami-Dade County, which would renew an existing tax that helps fund public education.
“Without that, I wouldn’t be able to support living here and being a teacher,” said Mas. “As long as they don’t change the way they fund us, this is how we have to support it.”
As of 6 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, voter turnout on Election Day was at around 58%, according to FreshTake.vote, an automated, statewide election tracker that follows voter turnout.
Day-of voters, like 20-year-old twin sisters at Florida Atlantic University, Dania and Danielle Jean-Baptiste, are registered Republicans who chose to vote for Democratic candidates due to growing concerns about issues, including immigration, abortion, public safety and taxes.
Although Danielle holds conservative views on gun ownership, she decided to vote against her party because of concerns about personal safety and inclusivity.
Danielle believes that Democratic candidates are more open to creating a welcoming environment for people from different backgrounds.
Ihosvanny Rodriguez-Carrasco, a 52-year-old Olympia Heights resident, who works in general construction, said he likes to vote in-person on Election Day.
The Republican voted yes on Amendment 3, which would raise the homestead exemption. It would reduce taxes for many homeowners but has sparked opposition from critics who say it will siphon funds from local government services.
“Because you pay less, that’s the benefit,” Rodriguez-Carrasco said. “If you are a homeowner and you are paying your house, you are not supposed to pay any taxes for that. I don’t know why the state wants to keep taxation on our houses.”
Karen Escobar, a 47-year-old real estate agent from Tamiami, headed to the Turning Point Church poll site Tuesday with her daughter to vote in her first midterm election.
Escobar, a political independent, said she voted Republican but does not believe in choosing candidates based solely on party affiliation.
“I like to make informed decisions and vote for what I feel is the right person for the job, as opposed to a political party,” she said, declining to say which specific candidates she voted for.
Escobar said the political climate and ongoing changes both in the U.S. and abroad motivated her to vote.
“There’s a lot of change and turmoil even just within our country, and I feel like it is really important to vote this time around and not just wait for two more years of presidential elections to have your voice heard,” she said.
The story was originally published by FIU Caplin News, a publication of FIU's Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, as part of an editorial content partnership with the WLRN newsroom.
