With primary day fast approaching, more than one-third of Key Biscayne’s nearly 8,000 voters are set to get mail ballots in the contest for Key Biscaye mayor.
Primary day is Aug. 23, but overseas mail ballots will go out this Saturday to 64 island residents abroad. Then, on July 21, another 2,787 ballots are set to be mailed out to domestic addresses – meaning that nearly 36% of island voters will have their ballots long before polls open.
The Elections Department is constantly updating the vote-by-mail list, said spokesperson Suzy Trutie. Residents can check their mail ballot status online.
As of Tuesday, the department said 7,973 people were registered to vote in Key Biscayne.
Turnout in primary elections often is much lower than general elections. In 2018, the last August mid-term primary election, only 23% of eligible Key Biscayne voters cast ballots. In that year, however, there was no mayoral primary.
Some 55% identify themselves as Hispanic, 36% as White, and less than 1% as Black. Voters who identify as female make up 48% of the electorate, while males are about 42%.
All Key Biscayne voters will get to cast ballots for the nonpartisan mayor’s race, school board, and for Circuit and County Court judges.
In addition, voters who are registered Democrats and Republicans will also vote in primaries for Congress and many state races. Republicans account for about 30% of village registered voters, with Democrats at about 27%. Nearly 42% of Key Biscayne voters are independents.
Upcoming Deadlines
| Last day to request mail ballot | Aug 13 | Online Link |
| Last Day to Register to Vote | July 25 | Online Link |
| Early Voting | Aug 8 – 21 | Online Link |
| Primary Day | Aug 23. |
Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.