Voters return to polls for runoff elections in Miami Beach, Hialeah, Sunny Isles Beach
Two weeks after voters in cities across Miami-Dade County elected new mayors and commissioners, voters in three cities are back at the polls Tuesday for a second round of voting.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. for five runoff elections in Miami Beach, Hialeah and Sunny Isles Beach. Voting ends at 7 p.m.
In Miami Beach, there are two runoffs for seats on the City Commission. In Group I, former Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez faces business owner Raquel Pacheco. In Group III, Planning Board member Alex Fernandez faces investor Stephen Cohen.
In Hialeah, there are two runoffs for seats on the City Council. In Group VI , business owner Angelica Pacheco is running against Florida International University law school student Bryan Calvo. In Group VII, voters will decide between sales manager Luis Rodriguez and Maylin Villalonga, who works in banking.
In Sunny Isles Beach, voters will elect a new mayor: Commissioner Dana Goldman faces interim Mayor Larisa “Laura” Svechin. A special election was called after former Mayor George “Bud” Scholl resigned in August.
Runoff elections were called after none of the candidates in any of the five local races received a majority of votes on Nov. 2. The two candidates in each race who received the most votes advanced to the final round of voting, where the top vote-getter will be elected.
Few voters are likely to cast their ballots. Voting turnout in the three cities with runoff elections was recorded to be between 5.1% and 7.6% ahead of Tuesday’s election. Turnout in the Nov. 2 elections was about 17.6% countywide.
Voters must cast their ballots at their assigned polling places on Election Day. Voters can locate their assigned polling place by checking their voter information card, calling 305-499-VOTE, or by going to the Miami-Dade County Elections Department’s website at www.iamelectionready.org.
Mail ballots will be accepted as late as 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can drop off their mail ballots in person at one of two locations: the Miami-Dade Elections Department at 2700 NW 87th Ave. in Doral and the Stephen P. Clark Center, Elections Branch Office, at 111 NW First St., in Miami.
This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to note that absentee ballots can be dropped off in person at only two locations, the Miami-Dade Elections Department and the Stephen P. Clark Center.
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