All systems are go!

The Miami-Dade County Elections Department has finished testing all the 1,700+ voting units that will be deployed for the March 19 Presidential Preference Primary Election. On Wednesday, they reached a “milestone day,” said Elections Supervisor Christine White, when the county conducted the state-required random Logic and Accuracy Test of 5% of the equipment to be used.

Read Full Story

Make no mistake. The lack of early voting on college campuses in Miami-Dade is voter suppression.
In defiance of a federal judge who said the Florida ban on early voting on college campuses had a “pattern of discrimination,” and while other counties scramble to provide campus locations, Miami-Dade is not opening any early voting locations for the Nov. 6 election at Miami-Dade, Florida International University (photographed left) or University of Miami campuses. This unwillingness to take action and do the right thing potentially disenfranchises tens of thousands students who are more motivated than ever to vote thanks to Parkland or Trump or both.
“The Miami-Dade County Elections Department has already confirmed its early voting sites for this election cycle, since preparations for large elections begin well in advance. Specifically, the Elections Department has secured the 25 early voting sites for the November 6, 2018 General Election,” Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor Christina White said in a statement Tuesday. Nothing has changed since, Elections spokeswoman Suzy Trutie told Ladra Thursday.
And the 25 locations are an increase from 20 in the primary and 20 for most midterm generals, but was increased to 25 in anticipation of voter growth, Trutie added. One would assume that includes the 41% increase across the state of voters ages 18 to 29 who registered after the high school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Broward.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez abuses power in election interference for lobbyist son
“In selecting early voting sites, the County’s goal is to ensure there is maximum accessibility for all voters,” White’s statement ends.
Well, all voters except students, apparently. And why?
These voters are mostly going to support Democrat candidates. And the Republicans know that. Doesn’t matter what White is registered as. Because Mayor Carlos Gimenez — who last month declared himself the real supervisor of elections so he could do his lobbyist son a favor — is Republican. We know, for instance, that he is raising funds for GOP superwoman Marili Cancio because he registered to solicit for her PAC. So he won’t do the right thing, but it’s not because he can’t. Because he could. He absolutely could make it happen. He’s meddled in elections before.
Remember in 2012 when he suddenly closed the Elections Department voting site on a Sunday as hundreds of people stood in line and then just as suddenly — after much protest and negative news — re-opened it hours later?
Maybe we should have CJ ask him.
Also, FIU did have an early voting site in 2012 at the stadium, where 2,276 people voted. Why would it be so difficult to set that up again? We’re not talking about making it an Election Day precinct. Just a location for early voting. Seems not only reasonable but natural.
State Rep. Kionne McGhee — who is becoming one of my favorite woke electeds — knows Gimenez could make this right. It is why he addressed the mayor in his tweet Wednesday.
“Banning early voting sites on college campuses was ruled unconstitutional. Five major counties have moved to expand EV sites. Students @FIU @MDCollege, and @univmiami deserve a say in the Democracy they’re a part of. What’s the holdup, Miami-Dade SOE and @MayorGimenez.”
The holdup, Rep. McGhee, is that his friends and backers could lose their state races.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez submits late night campaign check
This is one of the many reasons why there should be an independently elected Supervisor of Elections as there are in most Florida counties. But it’s not the only or the biggest reason. When you have a mayor who can declare himself the de facto supervisor of elections so he can grant a week delay in an election calendar to his lobbyist son, you have a problem.
Unfortunately, an elected supervisor of elections is not on the ballot this year. But it should absolutely be on the next ballot, with the caveat that it be a nonpartisan seat. This should be the next priority for the League of Women Voters, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, Engage Miami and all the other groups that say they are for voter awareness and participation.
Because what we are seeing today is voter suppression under the guise of a logistics excuse.

Read Full Story

Early voting starts Saturday in the Republican primary for House District 114, but voters in the north end may have to drive further to cast a ballot.
This is already a low turnout race, a special election to replace former Democrat State Rep. Daisy Baez, who resigned last year after she was caught living outside her district and lying about it. Gov. Rick Scott called a special election just six months before the real election, presumably to give a Republican, who normally have the edge in special low turnout elections, an incumbency in November for an advantage in the swing seat.
Only three polling places will be open for early voting — the libraries in Coral Gables, Pinecrest and Cutler Bay. The library in Flagami and the West Miami Community Center, which are normally early voting locations, are not included in this race, even though there are voters that live in those precincts.
Does anybody else see a pattern here?
One of the candidates, Jose Pazos, is crying foul. “My base is in the north of the district,” he told Ladra Thursday.
It’s also where a majority of the Cuban or Hispanic voters are concentrated. It’s where the lower income voters are concentrated. It’s probably also where the older voters are concentrated. They may not go if they have to get to Salzedo Street and University Drive in Coral Gables (exactly) to cast their ballots.
Is this voter supression? If Ladra didn’t know any better, we might think there was a concerted effort to keep Latino voters away.
A late night text to Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor Christina White Thursday was not answered. But White has likely heard about this already. Pazos said that West Miami Mayor Eduardo Muhiña and newly-elected Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes — both of whom have consituents who are being disenfranchised — have written letters asking that the two northern polling places be open for early voting.
The other candidate in this primary is Andrew Vargas, an insurance lawyer and named partner of State Rep. Carlos Trujillo, who had signed up to run in House District 119 to replace Jeanette Nuñez, but changed to 114 as soon as Baez announced her resignation. It is widely rumored that Trujillo made the protests in front of Baez’s house happen to speed up her fall from grace so Vargas could run here instead in a special election. Andrew, of course, is expected to do better in Pinecrest et al than Jose.
The winner of this Feb. 20 election (more on this soon) will face Democrat lobbyist Javier Fernandez, who has no primary, in May — which will be another low-turnout special election.
The county and elections officials should be doing everything to engage as many voters as possible, especially in elections where already fewer people will be making this important choice. Perhaps Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, whose constituents are being disenfranchised at the worst and incovenienced at the least, should get involved. Or Miami GOP pres Nelson Diaz.
There is still time to do the right thing. Early voting starts at 8 a.m. Saturday. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Early voting ends Feb. 18 and is at the following locations:

Coral Gables Branch Library, 3443 Segovia Street, Coral Gables
Pinecrest Branch Library, 5835 SW 111th Street, Pinecrest
South Dade Regional Library, 10750 SW 211th Street, Cutler Bay

And, hopefully, at the West Miami Community Center and the Hispanic library branch in Flagami.

Read Full Story