BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Election Day in Broward County drew large crowds and high enthusiasm Tuesday morning, with lines stretching outside major polling locations as voters cast ballots in an election fueled by deeply held convictions on both sides.
It’s the day “Broward County has been preparing for,” according to Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott, who describes Election Day as his team’s “Super Bowl.”
With more than 4,000 election workers stationed at over 350 precincts, Scott says Broward is ready to deliver a smooth experience for voters.
9 a.m. report:
“We have been working on this, and planning and preparing for this, obviously, for the last two years,” he said. “I think we’ve planned well.”
As Broward County prepares to handle an additional 300,000 in-person voters potentially, Scott says his team has put extensive measures in place to avoid disruptions.
Scott and his team are in the final stages of preparation, ensuring that each precinct is set up and ready to welcome voters.
“Everything’s pretty much in motion; at this point, we’re just getting everything set up and making the final preparations,” he added. “We’re feeling great— we certainly have enough people … we have enough equipment.”
“Everybody’s doing a great job — very helpful,” said Rena Conley, a Broward voter who praised the county’s election team.
At the Southwest Regional Library on Sheridan Street in Pembroke Pines, voters have been arriving steadily since the doors opened at 7 a.m.
A Local 10 News crew was at the scene where there were no long lines at that location, though wait times vary across precincts in Broward County.
Sky 10 flew over several Broward County polling sites Tuesday morning, including the Central Park precinct in Plantation, where a sizable line was already forming.
Voting appeared smooth at other locations like the Coconut Creek Recreation Complex and the Cultural Community Center in Hallandale Beach.
″Before we come to vote we do our research, we make some decisions, we have some discussions between my husband and I and then we make a plan and we show up,” said voter Laura Craven.
Alexa Rodriguez, voting for the first time, expressed excitement about her role in shaping the future.
“It was my first time, I was a little nervous, but you know, I feel like I made the right choice,” she said.
For Rodriguez, one issue stood out this year.
“I want to see a woman in office, I want to see a girl run this place like it should be. I have my rights so… I have to save them!” she added.
Others were motivated by economic struggles.
“Rent’s gone up a little bit… The reality is I don’t think one party or the other is going to change the world,” said one voter.
Over the two-week early voting period, Broward County saw a strong turnout with 680,000 ballots cast. on Tuesday, officials are expecting another 300,000 voters across the county.
Officials are reminding voters to head to their assigned precincts and note that vote-by-mail ballots can still be dropped off at any of Broward’s nine designated sites.
Each ballot will be transported back to election headquarters by a fleet of secure trucks to ensure safe and accurate counting.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I know if I am registered to vote?
Search this database online to look up voter information.
What is the deadline to return a vote-by-mail ballot?
7 p.m., Nov. 5
Who handles the process?
The Supervisor of Elections in the county of residence. Search this database to find the supervisor in your area.
Useful links
- Visit the Florida Division of Elections page
- For more information about federal election guidelines, visit this page.
- For more information about ballot intake stations, visit this page.