We’ve made voting convenient

The Elections Department is diligently working to ensure Miami-Dade County voters have a good voting experience in the Nov. 4 General Election. Miami-Dade County is offering 14 consecutive days of early voting that began Oct. 20 and runs through Nov. 2, the maximum allowed by law. In an effort to accommodate voters’ busy schedules, varying hours of operation will be offered.

The department will have a total of 25 early voting sites throughout the county, offering more locations than ever before. Of these, 19 remain at the same location, one has been relocated, and five new locations have been introduced to make early voting even more convenient. Voters may view early voting locations, hours, and wait times on the Elections Department website, http://www.miamidade.gov/elections/vote-early.asp, or by calling 3-1-1.

Voters who want to vote from the comfort of their own home always have the option to vote by mail via absentee ballot.

To do so, there are two important reminders — make sure the request is submitted by 5 p.m. on Oct. 29, and ensure an updated signature is on file. Postage is even paid for by Miami-Dade County, so this method of voting has never been easier.

Those voters who wait until Election Day to cast their ballot will also see improvements. With the introduction of the new electronic poll books, comes the benefit of a faster check-in process.

This technology enables us to automatically verify a voter’s eligibility. This, coupled with a more efficient composition of voting locations through reprecincting, will make Election Day voting an efficient process.

Miami-Dade County is “Election Ready.” Voters can do their part by preparing in advance for this election.

This can be done by downloading a customized sample ballot available on the department’s website. This is an excellent tool for voters to know their specific ballot content before casting their ballot.

With that, rest assured that Miami-Dade County is committed to providing all voters with a convenient voting experience, and we look forward to voter participation in this important election. For more information, visit our website or call 3-1-1.

This story was originally published October 20, 2014 at 7:51 PM with the headline "We’ve made voting convenient."