# Election Day Is Tomorrow: What Miami Gardens Voters Need to Know --- url: https://miamigardens.com/election-day-tomorrow-miami-gardens-november-3-2026/ author: David published: 2026-11-02 modified: 2026-11-02 type: post categories: News --- > Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 3. Here is how to find your polling place, what to bring, what is on your ballot, and when to expect results. 8 Takeaways From the 2026 Election for Miami Gardens | What Changes Now ** Election 2026 # 8 Takeaways From the 2026 Election for Miami Gardens By MiamiGardens.com Editorial** • November 4, 2026 • 6 min read ![An I Voted sticker on a table next to a newspaper and a cup of coffee](https://miamigardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/2026-election-takeaways-miami-gardens.png) The 2026 election will shape Miami Gardens' local government, schools, and budget for years. The votes are counted, unofficially at least, and the results will touch nearly every part of life in Miami Gardens, from who represents the city on the council dais to how much homeowners pay in property taxes. Here are eight takeaways from the 2026 election. NoteAll results are unofficial until certified by the Miami-Dade County Canvassing Board and the state. For the full numbers, see our [Miami Gardens election results](/miami-gardens-election-results-november-2026/). ## 1. Seat 4 has a new council member Educator Mykita Cherry-Prime won the City Council Seat 4 runoff with 60.12% of the vote, according to NBC 6, after leading the August first round with about 46%. She fills the seat Katrina Wilson left to run for the School Board, and she campaigned on issues including updating the city's down-payment assistance program. ## 2. Teachers won the two biggest local races Cherry-Prime is a teacher and department chair at Miami Norland Senior High, and Linda Cothiere, who won the School Board District 1 seat, is a longtime teacher. Two classroom educators will now represent Miami Gardens on the City Council and the School Board. ## 3. Linda Cothiere's comeback In August, former Councilwoman Katrina Wilson led the eight-candidate School Board primary with nearly 33% of the vote to Cothiere's 21%. In the runoff, Cothiere won 51.6% to 48.4%, according to Florida Politics. District 1 covers Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, North Miami, and North Miami Beach. A new council member, a new School Board member, and a hometown congressman, all in one night. ## 4. A former Miami Gardens mayor is headed to Congress Oliver Gilbert, who served as Miami Gardens' mayor before joining the Miami-Dade County Commission, won Florida's 24th Congressional District, the Associated Press projected. He will succeed U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson in January 2027. ## 5. Property taxes will change in 2027 Amendment 3 passed with about 62% of the vote, above the 60% it needed. Beginning January 1, 2027, the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes rises to $150,000, then to $250,000 in 2028. Homeowners with a homestead exemption stand to save, while the City of Miami Gardens had estimated a first-year revenue loss of about $9.7 million. How the city adjusts will play out in upcoming budgets. See our [Amendment 3 explainer](/amendment-3-property-tax-what-it-means-miami-gardens/). ## 6. Voters backed the school tax by a wide margin More than 82% of Miami-Dade voters approved renewing the one-mill school property tax for teacher pay and school safety, WSVN reported. The renewal runs from July 2027 through June 2031, so funding for those priorities continues even as Amendment 3 reduces other property taxes. ## 7. County commissioners could get a raise, but park ads were rejected Voters narrowly approved letting an independent panel set county commissioners' pay, with 51.63% in favor, according to NBC 6, after about a dozen pay proposals had failed over the decades. They also approved a longer residency requirement for commission candidates and charter updates for the elected sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, and supervisor of elections. A proposal to loosen limits on advertising in county parks was rejected. Read our [ballot questions explainer](/miami-dade-ballot-questions-explained-november-3-2026/). ## 8. A new governor, and a closer race than expected Republican Byron Donalds won the governor's race over Democrat David Jolly by roughly 1.3 points statewide, the AP projected, becoming Florida's first Black governor. Early county returns showed Jolly carrying Miami-Dade. The new administration will play a role in how Amendment 3 is implemented and in state funding that reaches Miami Gardens. Read our [governor's race story](/florida-governor-race-results-2026-byron-donalds-david-jolly/). ## What comes next Results will be certified in the coming days and weeks, and new officeholders will be sworn in after that. We will follow what these changes mean for city services, local schools, and Miami Gardens homeowners. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who won the Miami Gardens City Council Seat 4 race? Mykita Cherry-Prime won the Seat 4 runoff on November 3, 2026, with 60.12% of the vote, according to NBC 6. Results are unofficial until certified. ### Did Amendment 3 pass in Florida? Yes. Amendment 3 passed with about 62% of the vote. The homestead exemption for non-school property taxes rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. ### Who will represent Miami Gardens in Congress? Oliver Gilbert, a former Miami Gardens mayor, won Florida’s 24th Congressional District and will take office in January 2027. ### Did the Miami-Dade school tax pass? Yes. More than 82% of Miami-Dade voters approved renewing the one-mill school property tax for teacher pay and school safety. MiamiGardens.com does not endorse candidates or ballot measures. Results are unofficial and based on reporting by NBC 6, Florida Politics, WLRN, WSVN, the Miami Herald, and the Associated Press as of November 4, 2026. Published: November 4, 2026. --- *Source: [Miami Gardens](https://miamigardens.com/)*