What Miami voters need to know before voting on Election Day

Today’s the day. Voters are heading to the polls to elect our next governor, U.S. senator, attorney general, agriculture commissioner, state Supreme Court justices and many other leaders.

• If you didn’t study for the midterms, we’ve got you covered with a last-minute crib sheet.

How to vote: At this point, your best option is to vote in person at your assigned polling place. Bring a valid photo ID that includes your signature.

• Polls are open from 7am to 7pm, and any voters still in line at 7pm will be allowed to cast a ballot.
• If you still have your mail-in ballot, you can fill that out and drop it off at your local elections office by 7pm.

When will results come in? Local elections will probably be called based on tonight’s unofficial results, unless the margins are too narrow.

• Larger races, like the one for governor or U.S. senator, may not be called tonight if enough votes aren’t counted or results are too close.
• The Associated Press will not call statewide races before polls close in the Panhandle at 8pm (the area’s time zone is an hour behind the rest of the state).

You can find your sample ballot online, but here are some high-profile races:

Florida governor: Gov. Ron DeSantis is up for re-election against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.

• Recent polling suggests voters are leaning toward DeSantis.
• DeSantis, who’s viewed as a potential contender in the 2024 presidential election, has campaigned on policies such as parental rights in education and his opposition to COVID lockdowns.
• Crist has largely focused on abortion, criticizing DeSantis for signing a 15-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest.

U.S. Senate: Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is seeking re-election against Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings.

• Rubio has led Demings in recent polling despite Demings’ edge in campaign contributions.
• The race will help determine whether Republicans can take control of the Senate.

U.S. House: Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar is up for re-election against Democratic state Sen. Annette Taddeo.

• Salazar, a former TV journalist, won the seat in 2020 by 3 percentage points after an unsuccessful run in 2018.
• Taddeo, a small-business owner, was the first Latina Democrat to win a seat in the state Senate.

Go deeper: Check out our full voter guide for more local races and issues on our radar.