In a work-around to an early-voting crackdown law, the Miami-Dade elections headquarters will open Sunday afternoon to allow voters to request and cast absentee ballots in person.
The elections department announced the change Sunday morning, after the Florida Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in the wee hours seeking to somehow extend voting in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties before Election Day.
A spokeswoman said the department made the decision Saturday night after seeing such long early voting lines — the last voter wasn’t checked in until 1 a.m. Voters in line at 7 p.m. Saturday were allowed to vote.
A loophole in a state law that eliminated early voting the Sunday before Election Day allows elections supervisors to accept in-person absentee ballots through 7 p.m. Tuesday — including Sunday, at the elections supervisor’s discretion.
The elections department had planned to open Sunday for voters to drop off absentee ballots. The change: The office will now open between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to also allow voters who had not previously requested an absentee ballot to do so in person, fill them out on the spot and turn them in. Anyone still in line by 5 p.m will be allowed to cast their ballot. The office is located at 2700 NW 87th Ave., Doral.
The Palm Beach elections supervisor announced Sunday morning that the county would also allow in-person absentee voting.
Broward did not follow suit. Its main and satellite offices will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday only to accept absentee ballots from voters who had already received them. The offices will not allow voters to request and fill out new absentee ballots — though voters can call 954-712-1964 and 954-712-1974 on Sunday to request to pick up an absentee ballot on Monday at the satellite office.
Broward’s main office is located at 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 103, Fort Lauderdale. The satellite office is located at 1501 NW 40th Ave. (N. State Rd. 7/441), Lauderhill.
Broward elections spokeswoman Evelyn Perez-Verdia said shortly before noon Sunday that many voters were coming in to drop off absentee ballots. “They are coming in by the thousands,” she said.
Voters across the state can request and cast absentee ballots in person Monday.More here.
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