Miami Beach voters are faced with an unusually long ballot this year—in addition to elected offices and judicial races, we also have to decide on twelve proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution, five county charter referendums, a school board referendum, and six ballot questions for the City of Miami Beach.

For national and statewide elected office, vote for Democrats:

• U.S. Senate: Bill Nelson (#11)
• Congress: Donna Shalala (#21)
• Governor/Lieutenant Governor: Andrew Gillum/Chris King (#24)
• Attorney General: Sean Shaw (#31)
• Chief Financial Officer: Jeremy Ring (#34)
• Commissioner of Agriculture: Nikki Fried (#36)
• State House: Michael Grieco (#53)

For state constitutional amendments the Miami-Dade Democratic Party recommends the following:

• Amendment 1: Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption—NO (#221)
• Amendment 2: Limitations on Property Tax Assessments—NO (#231)
• Amendment 3: Voter Control of Gambling in Florida—YES (#240)
• Amendment 4: Voting Rights Restoration—YES (#250)
• Amendment 5: Supermajority Required to Impose or Raise State Taxes or Fees—NO (#261)
• Amendment 6: Rights of Crime Victims; Judicial Retirement Age—NO (#271)
• Amendment 7: First Responder Survivor Benefits; Public Colleges and Universities—NO (#281)
• (Amendment 8 removed from ballot)
• Amendment 9: Prohibits Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling, Vaping in Indoor Workplaces—YES (#300)
• Amendment 10: State and Local Government Structure/Operation—NO (#311)
• Amendment 11: Property Rights; Removal of Obsolete Provision; Criminal Statutes—YES (#320)
• Amendment 12: Lobbying and Abuse of Office by Public Officers—YES (#330)
• Amendment 13: Dog Racing Ban—YES (#340)

For county charter referendums the Miami-Dade Democratic Party recommends the following:

• Question 1: Nonpartisan Election of Clerk of the Circuit Court—YES (#350)
• Question 2: County Appointed Officials and Employees Running for Certain Elective Office—YES (#352)
• Question 3: Review of Initiatory Petitions for Legal Sufficiency—YES (#354)
• Question 4: Elections for County Commissioners and Mayor—YES (#356)
• Question 5: Prohibiting Incentivized Payments to Circulators of Initiatory Petitions—NO (#359)

You can also read the Miami Herald’s rundown of the county charter referendums

For the school board referendum on raising teachers’ salaries the Miami-Dade Democratic Party recommends voting YES (#362).

Also see the Miami-Dade Democratic Party’s Spanish-language voter guide.

For judicial races, SAVE Action PAC has endorsed:

• District Court of Appeal, 3rd District: Kevin Emas (vote to retain, #70)
• District Court of Appeal, 3rd District: Ivan Fernandez (vote to retain, #72)
• District Court of Appeal, 3rd District: Norma S. Lindsey (vote to retain, #74)
• District Court of Appeal, 3rd District: Robert Luck (vote to retain, #76)
• Circuit Judge, 11th Circuit, Group 14: Renee Gordon (#79)

*SAVE has not endorsed Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson, who faces a retention vote this year. If Justice Lawson is not retained, the new governor—not Rick Scott—will appoint his successor, along with three other justices.

You can also read SAVE’s full set of state and local endorsements.

The Miami Beach Democratic Club discussed the Miami Beach questions at our October 2018 meeting, but declined to take a position on any of them. However, The New Tropic has written voter guides for each of the questions (you can also check out their full voter guide):

• Question 1: Office of the Inspector General
• Questions 2 & 3: Convention Center Hotel
• Questions 4, 5, & 6: General Obligation Bonds