Early voters began casting their ballots for the fate of Sun Life Stadium Monday, but their votes might not count. Maylen Delgado, Merian Herald, Pete De La Torre and Christina White comment.
Early voters began casting their ballots for the fate of Sun Life Stadium Monday, but their votes might not count.
Just after 7 a.m. voters trickled in to Miami-Dade Election headquarters in Doral to cast an early ballot on the Sun Life Stadium upgrade question.
Maylen Delgado and her husband were two of the first to show up at the location and both said they voted against it.
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"I'm not in favor of using tax money for that sort of thing," Delgado said.
"Joe Robbie had no more money than these guys, so why can't they use theirs?" Merian Herald asked.
But Dolphins fan Pete De La Torre thinks the team deserves a boost. He's voting to raise a hotel tax from 6 to 7 percent, giving the Dolphins up to $289 million a year for 30 years to pay for stadium improvements.
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"The fact that it is based on taxes on tourists, it's not going into our pockets directly, and I think that we just gotta see the big picture." De La Torre said.
No matter what your vote is, it won't count unless state lawmakers sign off on the special election before the legislative session ends Friday. If they don't the election, scheduled for May 14, will be called off.
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Deputy Supervisor of Elections Christina White says either way, you won't see long lines like we had in November.
"This is a simple ballot with one question so we're expecting voters to move in and out very quickly," White said
And the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office has activated a voter protection hotline to assist anyone who suspects improper or irregular activity at early voting locations. The hotline is 305-547-3300.
Residents can vote early at these locations every day until May 12:
- City of Miami City Hall
- Coral Gables Library
- Coral Reef Library
- Elections Department
- Florida City City Hall
- John F. Kennedy Library
- Kendall Branch Library
- Lemon City Library
- Miami Lakes Public Library
- Miami Beach City Hall
- Model City Library
- North Dade Regional Library
- North Miami Public Library
- North Miami Beach Public Library
- North Shore Branch Library
- South Dade Regional Library
- Stephen P. Clark Government Center
- West Dade Regional Library
- West Flagler Branch Library
- West Kendall Regional Library
Early voting locations will be open at these hours:
- 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Apr. 29 to May 3
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 4
- 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., May 5
- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., May 6 to 10
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 11
- 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., May 12
Absentee ballots are still available as long as they're requested by May 8.
