Over 500,000 Miami-Dade Residents Casted Ballots During Early Voting

Hundreds of thousands of people casted their votes early in Miami-Dade County, according to NBC Miami. County officials reported that 513,646 residents showed up to the polls between October 19 and November 1 as of Sunday evening (November 1). The county also had record turnout on its first day of early voting -- 43,396 people. For Broward County, the unofficial total was 364,723 residents as of Sunday evening, as well.

“Early voting is to make sure that my vote gets in,” voter Verna Wray told NBC Miami. “That’s all I want. I don’t want it to be late and I don’t want it to be by mail.”

Experts are reporting record turnouts in the general election, as well. About 87 million people have already casted their votes, breaking a record for early voting across the United States. "Election experts believe that by Tuesday night, between 150 million and 160 million ballots will have been cast," NBC Miami reported.

Kenyatta Cobb, another voter, told the news station that the record numbers were "a good thing. I think things may turn out better for the average person." Early voting was also a convenient way to avoid the "craziness of Election Day."

"It'll be over and done with," he said. "I don't have to stand in line that day."

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