For weeks, community leaders in Miami’s historically Black neighborhoods sounded the alarm on a glaring omission in the city’s early voting plan for this year’s municipal election: not a single site was located directly within their community. Those concerns — centered on equity, access and representation — sparked swift action from city officials.
Now, following sustained pressure from residents, activists and local organizations, the City of Miami has added a new early voting location in a predominantly Black neighborhood. The measure was sponsored by District 5 Commissioner Christine King, who is up for re-election this November.
“As soon as I learned that the Little Haiti Cultural Center could not serve as a voting site due to Miami Art Week schedule conflicts, I immediately began working with the City Clerk to find solutions,” King told The Miami Times in a Sept. 25 statement. “I am proud to share that the Elections Department has now approved a new early voting site at Charles Hadley Park, and today the Miami Commission passed a resolution adding the voting site at the Carrie P. Meek Senior and Cultural Center. We moved quickly and we got it done.”
Additional early voting sites located in District 5 include the Legion Memorial Park Community Center and the Stephen P. Clark Government Center.
Commissioner Christine King, who represents District 5, acted quickly to add a site in a historically Black neighborhood.
Outcry over missing sites
Christopher Norwood, a member of the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee and of Black Men Win, was among the first to raise the alarm.
Christopher Norwood was one of the community members to raise concerns about the lack of early voting sites at the heart of District 5.
“I asked for a map of where the sites were, and I saw that there was nothing in sort of the heart of the Black community,” he said.
Norwood noted that even during presidential election years, the city typically offers at least one early voting site in a predominantly Black neighborhood, such as at the Little Haiti Cultural Center or the Lemon City Branch Library, which is currently under restoration.
After strong pushback, the City of Miami added another site at Charles Hadley Park in Model City.
The omission was especially striking given what’s at stake in the November election. Voters will choose a mayor and two new commissioners in District 5 and District 3.
“We definitely want to continue to have representation, and we want the voices of the people to be elevated,” said Ashley Toussaint, a long-time Little Haiti resident. “It feels like it’s been overlooked, and these are the kind of things that continue to happen to our community and why most voices are not as loud as they could be.”
The Little Haiti Cultural Complex has been a recurring early voting site for past elections. However, this year it is not listed due to conflicts with Art Basel’s schedule.
Norwood also pointed to the city’s political landscape. While President Donald Trump won Miami-Dade County in the 2024 presidential election — the first Republican to do so since 1988 — Kamala Harris won the City of Miami with 49.9% of the vote, according to election records.
Most of the votes for Harris came from District 5, led by King, and District 2, led by Commissioner Damian Pardo, who is also a Democrat and represents the historically Black neighborhood of West Coconut Grove.
“The most reliable sector of the Democratic Party is the African-American voter,” Norwood said. “However, in the upcoming election this November, the African American community in the City found itself with a shortage of early voting options, which understandably led to frustration and concerns about potential disenfranchisement by the City’s administration.”
Early voting and convenience
Anthony Robinson, a member of Black Men Win.
Anthony Robinson, executive director of Overtown Children and Youth Coalition and a member of Black Men Win, emphasized why early voting matters now more than ever.
“Early voting is important because it’s going to set the standard for what the election is going to mean,” he said. “Each and every day, they are trying to eliminate or make it more difficult to vote. Once our votes are in, it allows them to be locked in and our message to be heard.”
Ashley Toussaint, a long-time resident of Little Haiti.
Convenience, Toussaint added, is key to turnout, especially in communities where many residents rely on public transportation. The Little Haiti Cultural Center, he said, had previously been an ideal site.
“It’s very accessible for a lot of communities. People know about it. It’s a large facility,” he said. “There’s plenty of parking and it’s a landmark.”
By contrast, Toussaint said, Legion Memorial Park, while located in the boundaries of District 5, is neither well-known nor centrally located for Black voters.
“We don’t really use that site. We don’t go on that side of Biscayne anymore,” he explained. “If you ask the average person where Legion Park is, they probably will not be able to tell you.”
Toussaint also warned that the confusion surrounding the election — from shifting dates to changing locations — could compound the problem.
“People are going to assume based on previous elections that [Little Haiti Cultural Center] is going to be open,” he said. “If there’s not a big push to tell people, people are going to be waiting until the last minute.”
What’s ahead
Praising King’s efforts, Norwood said the outcome underscores the power of civic engagement and the importance of vigilance.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Chairwoman Christine King leading us during these pivotal times. When members of our community raised valid concerns about the initially proposed early voting sites, she acted swiftly, showing remarkable dedication to our democratic process,” Norwood said.
He added, “We must prevent such administrative oversights in the future. It is essential that all voters have easy and equitable access to the ballot box. This access is not merely a logistical issue; it is vital for ensuring that every voice in our community is heard and represented.”
Early voting will begin on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 8 a.m. and end on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m.
