TITLE
RESOLUTION CALLING A COUNTYWIDE SPECIAL ELECTION IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, TO BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH A GENERAL ELECTION ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2026, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO THE ELECTORS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY THE QUESTION OF WHETHER TO AMEND THE HOME RULE CHARTER TO REVISE THE PROCESS FOR CALLING AN ELECTION TO FILL COMMISSION VACANCIES AND ESTABLISH MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR MUNICIPAL QUALIFYING DATES

BODY
WHEREAS, on March 19, 2024, this Board approved Resolution No. R-255-24, sponsored by Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, creating a Charter Review Task Force to review the Home Rule Charter of Miami-Dade County in its entirety and to prepare and submit written recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners setting forth any proposed amendments or revisions to the Charter; and
WHEREAS, the Charter Review Task Force transmitted a final report recommending that this Board place proposed changes to the Miami-Dade County Home Rule Charter before the electorate of the County; and
WHEREAS, among the issues studied by the Charter Review Task Force was the process for calling an election to fill a vacancy on the County Commission; and
WHEREAS, the Charter Review Task Force, by a vote of seven in favor and one against, recommends that the Board place a referendum before the electors of Miami-Dade County to approve an amendment to the Miami-Dade County Home Rule Charter to (1) allow the Board to
take action on a prospective resignation to call an election that would sync up with other elections and (2) establish minimum standards for municipal qualifying dates to provide greater opportunity for such elections to be synced up; and
WHEREAS, this Board desires to place this issue before the voters on the November 3, 2026 General Election Ballot,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. A countywide special election is hereby called and shall be held in Miami-Dade County, Florida in conjunction with the General Election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for the purpose of submitting to the qualified electors of Miami-Dade County the proposal for amendment to the Home Rule Charter in the form attached hereto and made a part hereof as Attachment A.
Section 2. Notice of such election shall be published in accordance with section 100.342, Florida Statutes.
Section 3. The result of such election shall be determined by a majority of the qualified electors of Miami-Dade County voting upon the proposal. The polls at such election shall be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on the day of such election. All qualified electors of Miami-Dade County, Florida shall be entitled to vote at said election. The County registration books shall remain open at the Office of the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections until 29 days prior to the date of such election, at which time the registration books will close in accordance with the provisions of general election laws. The question shall appear on the ballot in substantially the following form:


CHARTER AMENDMENT
ALLOW VACANCY ELECTION TO SYNC UP WITH OTHER ELECTION; ESTABLISH MUNICIPAL QUALIFYING STANDARDS

Shall the Charter be amended to allow the Board to align the timing of special elections to fill vacancies in the offices of Mayor or County Commissioner with other scheduled elections when such vacancies are caused by resignations to run for other offices, and to establish minimum standards for municipal candidate qualifying periods?

YES
NO
Section 4. The form of the ballot shall be in accordance with the requirements of general election laws.
Section 5. Early voting shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of general election laws.
Section 6. Vote-by-mail ballots may be used by qualified electors of Miami-Dade County for voting on this question. The form of such vote-by-mail ballot shall be in accordance with the requirements prescribed by general election laws.
Section 7. A sample ballot showing the manner in which the question or proposal aforesaid will appear at this election shall be published and provided in accordance with the applicable provisions of general election laws.
Section 8. This special election on the proposal aforesaid shall be held and conducted in accordance with applicable provisions of the general laws relating to elections and the provisions of the Home Rule Charter. The County Mayor or County Mayor s designee and the Clerk of the Board are hereby authorized and directed to take all appropriate actions necessary to carry into effect and accomplish the provisions of this resolution. Election officials in connection with this election shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of general election laws.
Section 9. This election shall be canvassed by the County Canvassing Board, in accordance with the provisions of section 3.07 of the Home Rule Charter.