Today is Election Day in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
A combined total of 17 cities, towns and villages in the two counties have March 11 elections.
Some voters will elect candidates to local government offices, with some contests fiercely fought. Others will decide referendum questions — including whether they want to raise taxes in some communities.
“These elections are just as critical as any other because they determine the leadership that will shape the future of their communities,” Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott said in a statement.
The elections are not all cordial, neighborly affairs. In Palm Beach Gardens, for example, former Mayor Eric Jablin — who isn’t a candidate — wrote a letter posted on the Florida Jolt political website saying he’s “very disturbed” about “vicious personal attacks” from a candidate who has “nothing to offer the voters or the city.”
Where are elections?
In Broward, voting is taking place in Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Miramar, Pembroke Pines and Sea Ranch Lakes.
Palm Beach County voting is in Boynton Beach, Golf, Highland Beach, Jupiter, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Loxahatchee Groves, Pahokee, Palm Beach Gardens, Riviera Beach and Royal Palm Beach.
Only people who are registered to vote in municipalities are eligible to participate.
Voters whose address lists a city, yet reside in an unincorporated area, are not eligible to vote in municipal elections. That comes up more often in Palm Beach County, which has much more territory in unincorporated areas than Broward.
Voting
Neighborhood polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, March 11.
Anyone who is in line at 7 p.m. is allowed to vote.
People must vote in their assigned polling place on Election Day.
Someone must have a current, valid photo ID with a signature. The most common are Florida driver’s licenses or state ID cards. Many other forms of ID, including passports, are accepted. If the photo ID doesn’t have a voter’s signature, the person will have to show another ID with a signature.
A voter identification card — which many people call a voter registration card — isn’t needed, and isn’t accepted as a form of identification at a polling place.
Mail voting
People who have requested and received their mail ballots need to return them in person, unless they plan to vote at an Election Day polling place.
Florida has a strict deadline. Mail ballots must be back at the county elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, March 11. Postmarks don’t count.
Every election there are ballots that arrive late and can’t be counted under Florida law. In close elections there often have been enough uncounted ballots to potentially change the results.
People can also return their mail ballots at drop boxes at supervisors of elections offices in their home counties. Details about the hours and locations are available at the county elections office websites.
Someone who requests and receives a mail ballot is not required to use it. Voters can still vote in their neighborhood polling stations on Election Day. Safeguards are in place to prevent someone from voting more than once.
People who used mail ballots can check their county’s elections office website to make sure the ballot has been received and counted. (Ballots are marked as counted before Election Day, but the results aren’t tabulated until the polls close).
Someone whose ballot isn’t counted because of a signature problem has until 5 p.m. Thursday to “cure” the signature, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office said.
More to know
Why March: Communities in Broward and Palm Beach counties have taken different approaches toward local government elections during the last two decades. Most Broward communities hold their local voting in November and most in Palm Beach County hold elections in March.
Miami-Dade County’s municipalities hold elections on various dates throughout the year.
Late withdrawals: There were late changes in Deerfield Beach, where voters are electing a mayor and commissioners.
Mayoral candidates Caryl Berner and Timothy Richard “Chaz” Stevens dropped out of what was a four-way contest. But they withdrew too late for their names to be removed from ballots.
Todd Drosky and Dan Herz are still running for mayor.
Nonpartisan contests: The municipal elections are nonpartisan, and open to Democratic, Republican and no party affiliation/independent voters. And party affiliations aren’t shown on the ballot.
Still, both political parties have long involved themselves in local government contests. Both parties see city, town and village offices as important for their futures, as they build benches of tested candidates for future elections for higher office.
In Palm Beach County, where there are more contests, the Democrats and Republicans have alerted their supporters, via notices on their websites or email blasts to party loyalists, about the party affiliations of candidates. Republicans have touted 14 candidates in 10 contests and Democrats have highlighted 20 candidates in 12 contests.
Information
People can check online and by phone to see if they’re registered to vote, see if their mail ballots have been received, and check polling place locations.
Broward County: browardvotes.gov, 954-357-8683.
Palm Beach County: votepalmbeach.gov, 561-656-6200.
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