More than 21,000 Miami residents – 12% of all eligible voters – have already voted ahead of this week’s election.
That includes 13,133 people who voted by mail this year, and another 8,127 who cast a ballot in person at an early-voting site like Miami City Hall, according to numbers posted early Monday afternoon by Miami-Dade County’s supervisor of elections.
If these numbers signal a trend, the turnout in this year’s election could surpass the level of voter participation in 2021 – the last time Miami voters went to the polls to choose a new mayor.
More than 27,000 voters cast a ballot for mayor in that election. Most of those voters – just under 20,000 – voted early.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez won a second term in 2021 with 21,485 total votes, just a few hundred more votes than have already been cast in the 2025 election. Suarez defeated four challengers that year by capturing 78% of the total vote.
Miami City Commissioner Damian Pardo and others have argued that Miami should move its elections to even-numbered years, to coincide with state and federal elections when voter turnout is higher. Voter turnout countywide in 2021 was 17.6%.
There are 13 candidates competing this year to replace Suarez, who must leave office after completing two terms. The lack of an incumbent – and the large field of contenders – may boost voter turnout this year.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Here’s a guide to voting on Election Day.
Read more about this year’s race for mayor and the four City of Miami charter amendments on the ballot:
A guide to this year’s four charter amendments.
Who’s running for mayor? A list of all 13 candidates.
Spotlight profiles of four leading candidates: Ken Russell, Eileen Higgins, Xavier Suarez, and Emilio Gonzalez.
Downtown Neighbors Forum: Who’s the Adult in the Room?
Arsht Center Forum: Candidates Talk Tax Relief
