The Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, in Miami-Dade County, decided in an emergency hearing to extend mail-in voting in a mayoral runoff in the town of Surfside until April 28, after the National Jewish Advocacy Center
and GS2 Law sued over the election being held on April 7, during Passover.
The center said that the court made the decision, because it “recognized the serious burdens imposed on observant Jewish voters by holding an election during one of the most sacred periods of the Jewish calendar.”
“The court made extensive factual findings validating the core claims advanced by NJAC and its clients: that the timing of the election substantially interferes with the ability of many Jewish residents to participate in the democratic process,” it said.
The court did not postpone the April 7 election, but it “ordered sweeping relief to ensure meaningful access to the ballot,” according to the center.
“It expanded the mail-in voting period so that all eligible voters may cast ballots by mail through April 28, 2026, extended the request deadline so that voters may request a mail-in ballot through April 17, 2026, and increased flexibility around ballot return options, so that completed ballots may be returned either by mail or in person at the designated elections facility in Doral, Fla., through April 28,” it said. “This remedy ensures that voters observing Passover—many of whom are traveling or otherwise unable to vote in person—retain a full and fair opportunity to participate in the election.”
“This is a major victory for religious liberty and voting rights,” it added. “The court recognized what should be obvious. Voters should not be forced to choose between their faith and their fundamental right to vote.”
The town website notes the court’s decision and says that mail-in ballots will be collected through, and including, April 28, but it does not state that voters can request mail-in ballots until April 17.
“Vote-by-mail request deadline: Thurs., March 26,” it states. “Vote-by-mail ballots can be issued until 7 p.m. on election day. Vote-by-mail ballots requested in the last 10 days before the election are only issued for emergencies.”
