July 14, 2025
Miami elected officials have voted to postpone November elections and extend their terms.
The city of Miami has voted to postpone November 2025 elections to November 2026, in a move that critics are calling a “power grab” by current elected officials.
Miami’s city commission voted 3-2 in a meeting to amend the city’s election bylaws, pushing the municipal races back to 2026, the Guardian reports. Commissioners claim the decision was made to save money and boost voter turnout for higher-profile races, such as those for Congress or the presidency.
However, by granting themselves an extra year in office without seeking voter approval, many see the move as a strategic power play, particularly against candidates who have spent the past year campaigning to replace term-limited Mayor Francis Suarez. Both Mayor Suarez and Commissioner Joe Carollo are term-limited, yet will receive an extra year in office without voter input. Suarez, a former city commissioner, will now serve a 17th consecutive year at Miami City Hall, while Carollo will enter his ninth.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a warning letter to Suarez on June 26, stating that the plan to change election dates without first seeking voter approval violates both the city and county charters, as well as the state constitution.
“Miami is home to thousands of patriotic Cuban Americans who know better than most about regimes that cavalierly delay elections and prolong their terms in power,” Uthmeier wrote. “The City of Miami owes to its citizens what the law requires.”
The decision has raised concerns among Miami voters, fueling growing frustration in a political climate already tense under a President who frequently hints at the idea of seeking a third term.
“What worries people about this is, we don’t want to give the guy in the White House any ideas,” said John Jackson, a Miami resident and former political operative. Although there’s no viable way to attempt something like this at the federal level. “It still kind of makes people a little worried. I don’t know anyone on any side of the aisle – Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal – who just thinks that this was a good thing.”
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