Here’s What You Need To Know About The 2024 Election

By Nikole Valiente and Daylyin Staples

With Election Day only three weeks away, we’ve compiled a guide with the most important information you need to know for Nov. 5. 

Here is what we found: 

WHERE YOU VOTE

North Campus, 11380 N.W. 27th Ave., and Kendall Campus, 11011 S.W. 104th St., return as early voting sites from Oct. 21 through Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Registered voters can cast their ballots at Kendall Campus’ Fascell Conference Center in building K or North Campus’ Learning Resources Center in the 2000 building. 

On Election Day, citizens must vote at their assigned precinct, which is listed on the voter registration card or can be found online at https://tinyurl.com/y2ys5e92.

Miami Dade College’s early voting sites will be hosting voting rallies sponsored by the Institute for Civic Engagement & Democracy and ENGAGE Florida—a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that aims to increase voter education and civic engagement.

Kendall Campus will host their voting rally on Oct. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the breezeway in the 2000 building. North Campus’ rally will be on Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m in the breezeway in the 4000 building.

“We want to make [voting] a lifetime habit for students,” said Josh Young, college-wide iCED director. “So maybe they vote for the first time here … and they vote in every election. That’s our goal.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING

Citizens casting their ballot must bring photo identification with their name and signature—like a Florida driver’s license, state ID and United States passport—or some form of identification with their name and address, such as a utility bill, bank statement or government check.

Voter registration cards are highly encouraged, but not required, to facilitate the check-in process.

 People can also opt to vote by mail. Vote-by-Mail ballots can be requested by visiting Miami-Dade County’s online portal at https://tinyurl.com/yh8jcnnn or emailing votebymail@miamidade.gov. 

The deadline to request a ballot is Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. Ballots must be mailed or turned in to the Miami-Dade Elections Department, 2700 N.W. 87th Ave., by  7 p.m. on Election Day. 

“[By doing] something as simple as casting a ballot… believe it or not, you are impacting so many lives that you will never know or never meet,” said Melissa Lau, grant coordinator for the Poll Workers Are Heroes campaign. 

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT

The ballot’s main attraction is the presidential election where Republican Donald J. Trump squares off against Democratic candidate Kamala D. Harris. Their running mates are Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz, respectively.

That race is followed by the United States and Florida Congressional candidates. 

Nominees include: Republican Rick Scott and Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell vying for U.S. Senator, Republican Mario-Diaz-Balart and Democrat Joey Atkins battling to be the District 26 U.S. Representative, and Republican Bryan Avila and Democrat Charles A. Lewis I competing to be the District 39 Florida Senator. 

Voters can also decide if Florida Supreme Court Justices Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso, and three judges on the 3rd District Court of Appeal should remain in office.

The Miami-Dade County sheriff’s race, an office that hasn’t been voted on since 1966, features  Republican nominee Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz and Democratic candidate James Reyes.

The rest of the ballot has nominees for offices such as property appraiser, tax collector, county judge, supervisor of elections and the school board members. 

To read a detailed list of candidates and request a sample ballot, which is written in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, visit https://tinyurl.com/ycyx5tcm.

“We always think about the president’s race…but nothing is going to impact you more than the issues locally,” said Komarvoski “Tron” Wells, North Campus’ iCED director. 

The Six Proposed Amendments 

Amendment 1—Instituting Partisan School Board Elections 

This amendment proposes for school board members to be elected in a partisan election rather than a nonpartisan election. 

Voting “yes” would allow political parties to nominate candidates—requiring them to list their political affiliation on the ballot—while voting “no” would let candidates remain nonpartisan. 

Amendment 2—Establishing Fishing And Hunting As A State Constitutional Right

This amendment proposes for fishing and hunting to be listed as rights protected by the Florida State Constitution. 

It does not nullify the authority of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, an agency that manages and enforces laws regarding the state’s fish and wildlife resources.

Voting “yes”  would hinder state legislators from restricting certain methods of fishing or hunting, whereas voting “no” would make it easier to limit both activities. 

Amendment 3—Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

This amendment proposes to allow adults 21 years old or older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products and accessories for non-medical purposes.

It would also permit people, organizations and medical marijuana treatment centers with a state license to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell and distribute marijuana.

Voting “no” would keep the state’s existing law, which only allows the consumption and sale of marijuana for medical purposes.

Amendment 4—Right To Abortion

This amendment proposes to prohibit Florida from banning, penalizing, delaying or restricting abortion before fetal viability—the period at which a fetus can survive outside the womb—or when deemed necessary by a physician to protect the patient’s health. 

It does not nullify the Florida Legislature’s constitutional authority to require parents or guardians to be notified before a minor has an abortion.

Voting “yes” would legalize abortion before the period of fetal viability and when a doctor deems the mother’s safety is at stake; voting “no” would keep Florida’s current abortion law, which bans most abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy.

Amendment 5—Homestead Exemption Inflation Adjustment

This amendment proposes an annual adjustment for inflation to homestead exemptions, which are tax breaks given on homes based on their assessed value. 

Voting “yes” would allow homestead tax exemptions to increase or decrease alongside inflation, whereas voting “no” would leave the current exemption as inflation changes.

Amendment 6—Repeal of Public Campaign Financing

This amendment proposes the repeal of state funding for candidates running for statewide offices, including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Agriculture.

Voting “yes” would no longer allow taxpayer money to fund campaigns for statewide offices, whereas voting “no” would maintain public financing for candidates.

“You get to really put your opinions forward when you vote,” said Arianna Aragon, a Kendall Campus iCED civic ambassador and peer advocate for the Poll Workers Are Heroes campaign. “If you don’t vote, you’re letting everyone else speak for you.”

For iCED’s voter’s guide, visit https://tinyurl.com/pubdzpd7. 

Isabella Arce contributed to this report.

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