MIAMI-DADE, FL: The Miami-Dade Democratic Party unanimously passed a resolution at its General Body meeting on September 15th calling on Miami-Dade County to dramatically expand voting opportunities. The resolution was sponsored by the Miami-Dade Democratic Party’s General Counsel, Marc Burton.

The resolution calls on Miami-Dade County to add as many secure Vote-by-Mail drop boxes as possible, with a goal of doubling the number of existing drop boxes to 66 locations spread across the county. Adding secure Vote-by-Mail drop boxes will relieve pressure on postal deliveries and reduce crowding at the polls, benefiting the health and safety of voters and poll workers alike.

The resolution also calls for 24-hour drop boxes to be made available in Miami-Dade County, as they are in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. 

The resolution states that all drop boxes should remain in place for voters to use from the beginning of Early Voting through the end of voting on Election Day. During the August primary, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party Voter Protection Team encountered many voters who thought they could drop their ballots off at Early Voting sites on Election Day, only to discover that the drop boxes had been removed. As a result, a significant number of ballots were never returned. We believe the county should eliminate this cause for confusion by making it easy for voters to safely and securely drop off their Vote-by-Mail ballots at secure drop boxes all the way through Election Day at the same locations that are available during Early Voting.

The resolution reflected the Miami-Dade Democratic Party’s firm belief that Miami-Dade County should add as many Early Voting sites as possible during this election and in all other elections in the future. For the 2020 General Election, the county should add the AmericanAirlines Arena as an Early Voting location.

Statement from Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Steve Simeonidis:

“As Democrats, one of our core values is expanding access to voting. I am proud of our Executive Committee for passing this strong resolution. During the current coronavirus pandemic, we should be making voting easier, not harder, and I call on the Board of County Commissioners to pass these common sense measures to make voting easier, safer and more secure.”  

Statement from Miami-Dade Democratic Party General Counsel Marc Burton:

“There is no greater right than the right to vote. Miami-Dade County must do everything in its power to ensure that voters can safely and securely cast their ballots. During a global pandemic, that means making voting more accessible by adding socially distant voting options. That way, voters will have more choice on how to easily return their ballots without being concerned about exposure to COVID-19. I am proud to have sponsored this resolution and I am proud to be part of a party that stands behind the rights of voters.”

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