Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia on New Voting Machines and Election Integrity

New Role and Community Outreach

• 🎯 Alina Garcia, the first elected Supervisor of Elections in Miami-Dade County, emphasizes her accountability to the people rather than a mayor.
• 💡 Her mission is to increase voter turnout by conducting extensive outreach and education within the community.

Maintaining Voter Rolls

• 🔍 Garcia clarifies the process of voter roll maintenance, a legal requirement that occurs annually.
• ✉️ In odd years, voters who haven't contacted the office in four to five years receive a letter as part of this maintenance.
• ✅ Voters can verify their registration status on the website votemiamidade.gov or by calling the office.

New Voting Machines and Security

• 🗳️ Miami-Dade County has upgraded to new DS300 scanning machines, the first update in 15 years.
• 📄 These scanners process paper ballots, creating an image of the entire ballot for increased transparency and speed.
• 🔒 Scanned ballot images are stored securely on thumb drives under lock and key, and the original ballots are also preserved as a double check.
• 🚀 The new machines were successfully tested and will be used for the upcoming November 4th elections.

Fiscal Responsibility and Election Laws

• 💰 As a fiscal conservative, Garcia is returning $3.5 million of the office's budget to the county, demonstrating efficient management.
• ⚖️ Regarding petition gathering for constitutional amendments, Garcia notes that new rules and increased fees are dictated by the state legislature, and her office follows these laws.