Voters in South Florida are heading to early voting sites ahead of the general election, and elections officials expect turnout to rise on weekends. Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia said general elections usually draw more voters than primaries, which is why the county has added sites and extended hours.
Miami-Dade has 28 early voting sites, five more than during the primary. Broward has 30, nine more than the primary. In Monroe County, five sites are open daily through Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
During early voting, residents can cast a ballot at any polling site in the county where they are registered. Voters who wait until Election Day must go to their assigned precinct. Garcia said mail-in ballots can be dropped off at an early voting site, and she recommended mailing them at least five days before Election Day. The elections office must receive mail-in ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day to count.
At a Kendall site, voter Jorge Jaen said he chose the Miami-Dade Elections headquarters because the line was short. In Miramar, Humberto Rubio said he planned to be out of town on Election Day, so he voted early. Garcia said she expects at least 60% turnout for the governor’s race.
