What all Miami-Dade voters need to know about the March 19 Florida Republican primary

Max Greenwood
David Santiago/dsantiago@miamiherald.com

The Miami-Dade Elections Department began sending out vote-by-mail ballots to voters earlier this month ahead of Florida’s March 19 Republican presidential primary, but there’s still plenty of time to request one.

Registered voters eligible to participate in the election will have until March 7 to put in for a mail-in ballot, according to the Elections Department. The last round of mail ballots will be sent by March 9. After that, it’ll be up to voters to ensure that their mail ballots are returned to Elections Department headquarters by the time polls close on March 19, otherwise their votes won’t be counted.

Just because you’ve requested a mail-in ballot previously doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be sent one. Changes to state election laws that went into effect last year canceled many active vote-by-mail requests, meaning that voters who want a mail ballot may have to submit a new request to the elections department, either online, by phone or by submitting a form in the mail.

Voters can also request a mail ballot in-person at the elections department headquarters in Doral.

Eligible residents who aren’t registered to vote but want to participate in the March 19 primary have until Tuesday, Feb. 20 to register.

Voters who want to switch their party affiliation ahead of next month’s primary will also have until Tuesday to file the change with the Elections Department.

What’s on the ballot?

Only registered Republican voters will have the chance to participate in the presidential primary.

That’s because the Florida Democratic Party submitted only President Joe Biden’s name for the Democratic nomination. Under state law, if a party lists only one candidate for the primary ballot, the contest is canceled.

Most Republican voters in Miami-Dade will have only one question put before them on the ballot: who they want to nominate for president. The list of candidates, as they’ll appear on the ballot, includes:

  • Texas pastor and entrepreneur Ryan Binkley

  • Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

  • Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley

  • Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson

  • Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy

  • Former President Donald Trump

Most the candidates on the ballot are no longer running for president. All but three — Trump, Haley and Binkley — have dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, but will appear on the ballot because they ended their campaigns after a December state deadline.

Beyond the GOP primary, South Miami and Surfside will both have municipal content on their ballots that all registered voters will be allowed to weigh in on.

In South Miami, a special election will be held to decide whether to amend the city charter to allow for leases of city property exceeding 50 years as it pertains to the redevelopment of City Hall.

Voters in Surfside, meanwhile, will have the chance to choose their mayor and town commissioners.

Can I vote in person?

Early in-person voting for the March 19 election begins on March 4 and runs until March 17. A list of early-voting sites can be found online.

For those looking to cast a ballot on the day of the primary, polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m., according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Voters planning to vote on March 19 can find their polling location online or by calling the elections department at 305-499-VOTE (8683).

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