All precincts in Miami-Dade County are open for voting

As of 7 a.m. today, all voting locations in Miami-Dade County are open and welcoming voters. Over 55,000 voters have already cast their ballot in this election via mail-in ballot or early voting.

Voters who plan to vote in person today should remember the following:

• Voters are encouraged to review their customized sample ballot before heading to the polls.
• Every voter must go to their assigned voting location on Election Day.  This will be the first countywide election after reprecincting.  Voters are encouraged to check their polling place on their voter information card, by going to the Elections Department's website, or by calling 311.
• Polls are open until 7 p.m.
• If a voter is in line at 7 p.m., they will be allowed to vote even if the polling place has closed.
• Voters must bring a valid and current identification that contains a photo and their signature.
• Acceptable forms of ID include:
  
  
  • Florida Driver License
  • Florida Identification Card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
  • United States Passport
  • Debit or credit card
  • Military identification
  • Student identification
  • Retirement center identification
  • Public assistance identification
  • Neighborhood association identification
  • Florida concealed-weapon license
  • Veteran health identification card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Government issued employee identification.
• If a voter does not have ID available, they will be asked to vote a provisional ballot.
• While the current voter information card is not required to vote, it can expedite the check-in process; therefore, bringing it is always encouraged.
• Florida law does not allow a voter to turn in their vote-by-mail ballot at their assigned precinct on Election Day.

Voters that need to return their vote-by-mail ballot can still do so in the following way:

• Two designated locations on Election Day – a voter may drop off their vote-by-mail ballot from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at:
  
  
  • Miami-Dade Elections Department, 2700 NW 87 Ave., Miami, FL 33172
  • Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW 1 St., outside east entrance, Miami, FL 33128

It is important for voters to know their party affiliation because Florida is a closed primary state, meaning that only voters who are registered members of a political party may vote in their respective party’s primary election.

This year, only the Republican Party will hold a Presidential Preference Primary Election to select their presidential nominee on March 19th. 
 
The Florida Democratic Party provided only one candidate as their presidential nominee. Therefore, a primary election ballot for the Florida Democratic Party is not needed. Consequently, Democrats and voters with no party affiliation are not eligible to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary Election.
 
However, all registered voters residing in South Miami and Surfside are eligible to vote on March 19th on their municipal ballot content, regardless of party affiliation.

For more information, review the March 19th Presidential Preference Primary Election Sample Ballot, visit www.miamidade.gov/elections or call 311.