Broward voters say inflation, livable wage are top concerns heading into next year's elections
FORT LAUDERDALE - On Tuesday, voters will go to the polls in a handful of Miami-Dade cities to cast their ballots in several elections. They'll choose a new mayor for Miami Beach and, among other things, decide commission races in Miami, Hialeah, and Homestead.
Of course, the big prize comes a year from now when voters pick a new president and determine which party controls the House and Senate. The issues important to voters now will be instrumental in their picks at the polls in 2024.
CBS News Miami's Eliott Rodriguez spoke to some voters in Broward where they said the overriding concern was the struggle to make ends meet.
"Definitely inflation. I've seen everything go up except for my paycheck," a man on Fort Lauderdale beach told Rodriguez.
"I have a daughter who just graduated high school and wants to buy a house but high interest rates mean there is nothing for low-income buyers anymore," said another man.
According to Realtor.com, the average price of a home in Fort Lauderdale is more than $500,000, the average rent is about $2,700 a month, and that's putting major stress on voters.
Another issue brought up was voting rights.
"The right to vote is very important. Everyone should be allowed to register, everybody should be allowed to vote, and there should be no gerrymandering of a district," said a woman.
In Lauderhill, Ruben Roberts, a former local head of the NCAAP, told Rodriguez that he's worried about political polarization.
"Some politicians are stoking fears in people that create more tension in our communities. I think that if we are Americans, we really need to look at how we can live in unity together, we look at what's going on in the world and we see all of these divisions," he said.
Brandi Moore is the owner of Liquid Paradise. While she serves delicious daiquiris, she knows there's nothing sweet about today's economy.
"Everybody I have here on staff is a second job, it's not their first job. So people need second jobs just to make ends meet when it wasn't that way just a few years ago," she said.
Rodriguez found other other issues of concern.
"I want to say for me right now it's gun safety. Gun violence is the number one cause of death among our youth right now and I don't see the urgency to make that decrease," said property manager Monique Henry.
"One issue I would speak on would be climate change. I think that is something as a Floridian that we need to continue centering on and making sure our local electeds and state electeds are serious about," said Coral Springs Commissioner Nancy Metayer.
"If we do not have the ability to have our people with livable wage jobs that will allow them to provide for their families, one or two things are going to happen. They are either going to out and make it through illegal ways or they are going to end up staying home and not really working," said Lauderhill Commissioner Melissa Dunn.