Thousands of South Florida voters switching parties ahead of presidential primary

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. ā€“ A large number of former South Florida Democrats are set to have a say in the race between former President Donald Trump and Nikki Haley.

During Sundayā€™s episode of ā€œThis Week in South Florida,ā€ Broward Countyā€™s Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott spoke about the changes.

ā€œWe actually had 2,500 switch (between) Jan. 1 and the deadline that passed last Tuesday,ā€ said Scott.

In Miami-Dade County, more than 4,100 voters switched from Democrat to Republican heading into Floridaā€™s primary election next month.

Perhaps last monthā€™s Iowa Caucus provides a clue into what is happening in Florida.

Up in Iowa, voters could switch parties on election night and vote in either partyā€™s primary.

In Florida, primaries are closed to only party members, and state Democrats have already picked Joe Biden as Floridaā€™s winner.

It appears thousands of voters are switching to have a say in the spicier race between Trump, the frontrunner, and Haley, his defiant, persistent opponent.

But five other former candidates are also on Floridaā€™s ballot, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, though all five have said they suspended their campaigns.

ā€œBut thatā€™s not official action,ā€ said Scott. ā€œThey need to actually file paperwork to have their name removed from the ballot, and a lot of these people didnā€™t do that in time.ā€


About the Author
Glenna Milberg headshot

Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."

Loading...

Recommended Videos