Voters Turn Out At The Polls For Primary Election Day
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Thousands of people who did take advantage of early voting days or vote by mail ballots, lined up at polling stations across Miami-Dade on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the Primary Election.
No major issues were reported when the polls opened at 7 a.m.
"We had a very smooth opening day this morning, all of our precincts are open and accepting voters so now it's up to the voters to come out and take advantage of the opportunity," said the county's Supervisor of Elections Christina White.
"In the middle of the day it's like lined up around and around and it gets kind of crazy. Everything went smoothly and I had a nice time, very efficient and I'm ready to go to work," said Frederico Flaquer who voted early to avoid the longer lines later in the day.
Over 16 thousand votes were in by 9:30 a.m.
It's an important day for many casting their ballots like Meredith Consque who said, "I never miss an opportunity to vote, it's one of the things that makes our country great and it's part of our duty to be a part of the process."
The polls will close at 7 p.m. All eligible voters in line at their polling place at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote, regardless of the length of the line.
If you plan to vote today, be sure to bring valid identification, which must contain your name, photograph, and signature. Also, it must not be expired.
If your assigned polling station is at a school, tried to avoid getting there at dismissal time.
Florida is a "closed primary" state, which means only voters registered with a political party may vote in that party's Primary Election. One exception: If all the candidates are running as members of the same party, the primary is open to all eligible voters. All voters can also vote in nonpartisan elections for judges and school board members.
Nearly 2 million people have already cast ballots, according to the Florida Division of Election website. Nearly 1.2 million people mailed in ballots, while nearly 662,000 voted at early voting polling places.
Turn out for Primary Elections, especially for midterm elections, is usually low, but this year has been the exception. Turn out in regards to early voting and vote by mail this year is exceeded the past few elections.
"With vote by mail and early voting, it's actually quite high for a primary election," explained White. "We have a 13 percent voter turnout, so that's showing us that voters are encouraged and enthusiastic this time around."
One of the top races is the gubernatorial race. Five Democrats and two Republicans are vying for their party's nomination.
On the Republican side, polls show Ron DeSantis, who was endorsed by President Trump, has a double-digit lead over once front-runner Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
The latest Gravis Marketing poll among Republicans shows him winning the Republican nomination with ease. He has a 12 point lead over Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
On the Democratic side, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum has made significant progress on the campaign trail over the past few weeks. The polls show Gwen Graham, daughter of former Florida Senator Bob Graham, leading the race. Her closest competitors are Gillum and former Miami Beach Philip Levine who are virtually neck and neck.
Candidate Jeff Greene canceled his watch party for Tuesday night, opting to watch the results come in at home.
There are also Cabinet primaries as well as many contested congressional races.
CLICK HERE FOR THE CBSMIAMI.COM ELECTION GUIDE
Things to remember about the Primary Election.
Here are some other helpful tips for Election Day.
- The polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Election Day.
- All eligible voters in line at their polling place at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote, regardless of the length of the line.
- Find out where you are assigned to vote before Election Day.
- Click here to find your polling location in Miami-Dade
- Click here to find your polling location in Broward.
- Bring valid identification, which must contain the voter's name, photograph and signature and must not be expired.
- If you do not have proper identification with you, Florida law allows you to vote a "provisional ballot."
- If you are voting at a school, you should avoid voting at the arrival and dismissal time for the school.
- Before heading to the polls, be informed and use your sample ballot.
- CLICK HERE to see a SAMPLE BALLOT in Miami-Dade
- CLICK HERE to see a SAMPLE BALLOT in Broward
- If you make a mistake in voting, tell the clerk in charge of the polling place, give him or her your spoiled ballot, and you will be issued a replacement ballot.
- If you received a Vote-by-Mail Ballot but decide to vote at your polling location on Election Day, please bring your Mail Ballot with you to surrender to an election official.
- For our Election Guide 2018, click here
- For more on Campaign 2018, click here.
- For more voter information, FAQ's and helpful links, click here.
- To see candidate interviews on CBSMiami.com, click here.
