With the Colombian presidential runoff fast approaching, Coral Gables has pulled the consulate in Miami out of the polling-place lineup and is steering voters to the University of Miami’s Watsco Center instead. City officials say the late shift is driven by public-safety worries, traffic concerns and emergency-access issues tied to large crowds that would overlap with FIFA World Cup activities. The move reshuffles one of South Florida’s main polling hubs less than two weeks before Colombians abroad cast decisive ballots.
City Says Consulate Site Is Not Safe For Runoff
In a hand-delivered letter to the Consul General on Wednesday, the Coral Gables Police Department wrote that “the facilities of the Consulate General of Colombia are not an appropriate venue for the presidential runoff election,” citing observed lines, traffic disruption and emergency-access challenges, according to City of Coral Gables. The letter says the decision followed a review of conditions during the first round and was delivered to consular officials to give them time to rework their logistics.
Watsco Center Will Host Early Voting
City officials coordinated with consular staff to move Coral Gables’ polling operation to the University of Miami’s Watsco Center, where early voting will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week before the runoff, according to Local 10. Election Day for the Colombian runoff is set for June 21, and the station reports that South Florida will have six precincts in total, split evenly between Miami-Dade and Broward and Palm Beach counties.
South Florida Precincts And Addresses
The consulate had been listed as a precinct for the first round, but the new layout replaces the consular site at 280 Aragon Ave. with the Watsco Center at 1245 Dauer Drive, per the Consulate General of Colombia in Miami. Other assigned sites include Miami Dade College’s Kendall gymnasium (11011 SW 104 St.), the Milander Center in Hialeah (4800 Palm Ave.), Coral Springs High School (7201 W Sample Rd.), Cypress Bay High School in Weston (18600 Vista Park Blvd.) and the Palm Beach State College Public Safety Conference Center (4200 S Congress Ave.).
How To Confirm Where You Vote
Voters are urged to confirm their assigned precinct and table using the online lookup provided by the Registraduría, which asks for the Colombian identification number, or cédula, before displaying the polling place, according to the Registraduría. If you plan to vote in the exterior, make sure your cédula is registered at your preferred consulate well before early voting begins.
What To Expect On The Ground
City officials said teams observed “extensive lines and large voter gatherings” on public streets around the consulate during the first round, a key factor behind the permit denial and the shift to UM, according to City of Coral Gables. The Watsco Center is an 8,000-seat multipurpose arena with the kind of parking circulation and security infrastructure city leaders said they wanted for a high-turnout runoff, per the venue information page at Watsco Center.
More Information
The Consulate General of Colombia in Miami has posted precinct lists and contact details for election questions on its website; the office lists the Coral Gables address and a public phone line for inquiries, per the Consulate General of Colombia in Miami. For the latest on assigned polling places and hours, check both the Registraduría lookup and the consulate page before you head out to vote.
