Early voting for 2024 General Election begins Monday in South Florida
MIAMI - South Florida election departments are set and ready as early voting kicks off Monday, October 21 and runs through Sunday, November 3.
In Miami-Dade, early voting will be available at 33 locations across the county, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and voters are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to cast their ballots before Election Day.
For more information, visit www.miamidade.gov/elections or call 311.
Voters in Broward County will have access to 29 early voting locations, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Broward County Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott encourages all eligible voters to take advantage of Early Voting to ensure their voices are heard.
For more details about early voting in Broward, visit browardvotes.gov or call 954-357-VOTE (8683).
Giuseppe and Maria Imbrenda are ready.
"I got my ballot in my car," Giuseppe said. "We do vote early.'
They plan to drop their mail-in ballots off in person at an early voting location. They found this time around there's a lot on the ballot.
"I know a lot of this, not all, but a lot of this," Maria said while looking over a sample ballot.
They say it's important to do your homework before voting.
"I do some research, especially I live in Doral, so I look at the candidates and the proposals. On the major tickets, for the president, were pretty much set on what we want to vote and or what we expect, but on the others, you have to read," Giuseppe explained.
Mail-in ballots are already being scanned in as election officials prepare for two weeks of in-person early voting.
"That's the beauty of it for 14 straight days, 12 hours a day. But there is an important tip that I really want people to tap into, and that is to go to our website in advance and check out the wait times," said Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Christina White.
Whether you vote by mail, vote early or on Election Day — Maria and Giuseppe urge everyone not to sit this one out.
"Be present. Vote. We need to vote in this election. It's very important for us, for our children, for our family, for the city, for our country. It's very important," Maria said.
How to find the early voting locations
The 67 county elections supervisors choose the early voting locations. You can find your county on the Secretary of State website. Voters are allowed to vote at any of their county's early voting sites.
Ballots can be filled out at Supervisor of Elections offices.
- In Miami-Dade County, there are 33 locations.
- In Broward County, there are 29 locations.
- In Monroe County, there are two locations.
What you need to know
- For Miami-Dade County, early voting runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 3. The hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- For Broward County, early voting runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 3. The hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- For Monroe County, early voting runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 3. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To vote in person, voters need to bring a valid photo identification with their signature on it. Those who do not bring proper ID can still vote with a provisional ballot. It will count if the signature on the provisional ballot matches the signature in their registration record. Different types of identification are acceptable.
Where can Florida mail-in ballots be dropped off early?
Florida voters who have requested a vote-by-mail ballot can mail the ballot or deposit it in a secure drop box at their county elections office until 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters also can deposit their ballot in a secure drop box at early voting locations.
To find where and when mail-in ballots can be dropped off at secure drop boxes, voters can visit their county Supervisors of Elections' website. Supervisor of Elections information for each county — including for Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, Orange and Palm Beach counties — can be found here.
In the 2024 legislative session, a bill died that would have only allowed vote-by-mail by those who can't vote on Election Day or early voting.