Early Voting Underway in Florida: High Turnout and Key Issues on the Ballot

In-person early voting for the November 5 general election began on Monday across all 67 counties in Florida, marking a significant milestone in the state’s electoral process. The initial day saw a strong turnout, with Broward County reporting over 17,000 ballots cast by early Monday afternoon and Miami-Dade County tallying more than 33,000 ballots at its 33 locations.

As of the first day of early voting, nearly 1.2 million Floridians had already cast their ballots by mail, with over 300,000 of those votes coming from the Miami metro area alone. In Miami-Dade County, more than 144,000 voters had cast their ballots, including almost 124,000 by mail and about 20,000 in person. Broward County saw over 108,000 residents voting, while Palm Beach County reported over 130,000 ballots cast.

The early voting period will continue through at least November 2, with some counties, including those in South Florida, offering an additional day on November 4. Voters can cast their ballots at various locations throughout their counties, with the flexibility to vote at any early voting site within their county of registration.

Voters are required to bring a valid photo identification with their signature on it. Those without proper ID can still vote using a provisional ballot, which will be evaluated later for eligibility. The early voting process has been largely smooth, despite some website glitches affecting county supervisor of elections’ websites, which did not impact the ability to cast ballots.

The upcoming election includes two significant proposed constitutional amendments: one to broadly expand abortion access in Florida and another to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults. These issues, along with the presidential race, are driving voter enthusiasm and participation.

Politically, the election landscape in Florida shows Republicans with an advantage in voter registration and funding, but Democrats are actively working to mobilize their base. High-profile surrogates, including DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison and former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are engaging in get-out-the-vote efforts across the state).