This month in Broward we have elections. Many people have reached out to me trying to understand which elections they are able to vote in and what seats are up and when, so here is some information that I hope will help.
The August 18 election is considered a primary election, but several seats will be decided on this date.
For non-partisan races such as judges and school board, whichever candidate receives more than 50% of total votes cast will be the winner of the race. If no one receives more than 50% of the total votes cast, the two candidates with the most votes will have a runoff in November.
In partisan races, the primary is in August, and the general is in November. If no opposing party candidate or write-in candidate enters the race, the primary is an open primary, and all voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote in the race. If there is an opposing party candidate or a write-in candidate in the race, the primary is closed, and only voters with the same party affiliation as the primary candidates can vote in that race. All voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote in all races in November.
What does all this mean? It means you should register to vote, verify your voting information is accurate, and do your homework on candidates and races. Since some races are determined in August and others are determined in November, it is important to vote in every election. Additionally, some municipalities (not Parkland) also have March elections that determine mayor and commission races. Also, you can view a sample ballot online or request a vote by mail ballot by visiting the Supervisor of Elections website at browardsoe.org. The website also has a list of all early voting sites and general election sites. Early voting takes place from August 8-16. Early voting hours are from 11am-7pm Monday through Friday and from 9am-5pm Saturdays and Sunday. Primary Election Day is August 18, and the polls are open from 7am-7pm.
On a separate note, the city manager’s proposed city budget for the 2020/2021 fiscal year is now online at cityofparkland.org/budget. Please take the time to review the budget and submit your comments online. Currently, a resident budget workshop is planned for August 12 at 6:00pm and a commission (open to the public) budget workshop is planned for August 19 at 5:00pm. The budget is not final until our two budget hearings in September are completed. The budget hearings are all open to the public. Please always feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have. I look forward to hearing from you.