Why are campaign staffers greeting voters at Florida polling sites? What you need to know about "electioneering"
MIAMI — As Florida heads into the final stretch of the 2024 election season, campaign staff from both sides of the aisle are showing up at polling sites to make one last plea to voters.
While this is legal in the Sunshine State, there are limitations to the practice known as "electioneering."
In Florida, campaigning at a polling site boils down to one key rule: You can't campaign within 150 feet of the door of a polling site.
Voter Odalys Cadiz was greeted at the Miami Lakes Community Center polling site with flyers from candidates.
"They're blocking a little bit," Cadiz told CBS News Miami in Spanish. "That caused the rhythm of the cars to slow down. Besides that, I'm going in and it's fine."
A poll worker told CBS News Miami they give the campaign staff five seconds to hand out their flyers and then they have to let the people drive through.
Florida State University law professor Michael Morley said campaigning outside a polling site is legal, you can't block people from entering or leaving.
"Certainly, there's not an exception that you're allowed to block traffic or interfere with traffic or try to engage in some kind of political speech," he said.
Morley said it is illegal to campaign inside these boundaries.
"All electioneering statutes try to draw a balance between on one hand allowing for freedom of expression, while on the other hand not subjecting voters or people waiting in line to vote to undue influence," he said.
At the North Dade Library in Miami Gardens, there were fewer staffers greeting voter Doneesha Gibson as she drove through but she said they were wasting their time.
"No, no, before I even got dressed this morning, my mind was already set on what I'm voting for and who I'm voting for," Gibson said.
CBS News Miami reached out to the Miami-Dade elections department asking if there have been any complaints filed about people campaigning within the no-campaign zones, but have not heard back.
