Today is Election Day in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
A combined total of 21 cities, towns and villages in the two counties have March 10 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.
Boca Raton is picking a successor to a term-limited mayor who has been in office for years. Delray Beach is picking a replacement for a commissioner who was elected to the state House of Representatives. In Pembroke Pines, two incumbent city commissioners face election challengers. And in Wellington, six candidates are running for two Village Council seats.
“Municipal elections play an important role in shaping local communities,” Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link said in a written statement. She urged voters to take a few minutes before heading to the polls to review what’s on their ballots and confirm their polling place.
Where are elections?
The elections are primarily in Palm Beach County, where residents in 19 communities are voting.
Palm Beach County voting: Boynton Beach, Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Gulf Stream, Hypoluxo, Juno Beach, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Loxahatchee Groves, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach Shores, Royal Palm Beach, South Palm Beach, Wellington, and West Palm Beach.
In Broward, only Lauderhill and Pembroke Pines (Districts 1 and 4) have elections on Tuesday. Candidates in four other Broward communities places were unopposed, so elections won’t be held.
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 10.
Anyone who is in line at 7 p.m. is allowed to vote.
People must vote in their assigned polling place on Election Day. Locations aren’t necessarily the same as the places people voted at in previous major elections, such as the 2024 presidential contest.
In Palm Beach County, there are 329 precincts with municipal elections, spread out among 164 polling places.
In Broward, there are 24 precincts spread out among 21 polling locations.
Voters 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 ballots
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 headquarters by 7 p.m. on Election Day, March 10. 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 return their mail ballots at drop boxes at supervisors of elections offices in their home counties. Details about the hours — some are open only until 5 p.m. — 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.
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.
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. Sample ballots are available online.
Broward County: browardvotes.gov, 954-357-8683.
Palm Beach County: votepalmbeach.gov, 561-656-6200.