School tax questions lead in unofficial counts in Broward, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach

School tax questions were ahead in unofficial counts in Broward, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, according to each county’s election results page as SignalData opened them about 4 p.m. Wednesday. The newest update stamp was 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, in Miami-Dade. None of the results is certified.¹²³⁴

Florida Politics reported Hillsborough voters approved all three county referendums; Fox 13 reported the same for the tax and the superintendent. WSVN reported Miami-Dade and Broward voters renewed their school taxes. Palm Beach’s school district says its referendum was “Approved by Voters.”⁵⁶⁷⁸

Hillsborough

The page, stamped 10:14:30 p.m. Nov. 3, excludes provisional ballots, mail ballots pending signature cure and 10-day overseas ballots.¹ Ballot wording, summarized:⁹

• Half-cent school surtax: continues the School Board’s sales surtax for 10 years from Jan. 1, 2029, for air conditioning, capital improvements, security and maintenance. For 306,289 (61.55%); against 191,375 (38.45%).
• Superintendent: replaces School Board appointment with a partisan election for a four-year term, starting in 2028. Yes 287,996 (58.10%); no 207,669 (41.90%).
• County Commission: grows the board from seven to nine members, and to 11 at a population of 2,500,000, all from single-member districts. Yes 253,488 (51.72%); no 236,601 (48.28%). The law sets an Oct. 1, 2027, districting deadline.¹⁰

The supervisor’s office says the canvassing board certifies official results Nov. 16.¹¹

Miami-Dade

The page, stamped 1:15:30 p.m. Nov. 4, calls results preliminary until provisional ballots and cure affidavits are reviewed and the canvassing board certifies.² Ballot wording, summarized:¹²

• School tax: maintains the 1-mill property tax from July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2031, for teacher and instructional staff pay and student safety, including charter schools. Yes 595,003 (81.82%); no 132,188 (18.18%).
• Commissioner salaries: an independent commission would set them. Yes 369,941 (51.58%); no 347,237 (48.42%).
• Commission residency: raises the district requirement to one year. Yes 570,315 (76.98%); no 170,522 (23.02%).
• Vacancies: lets the board align certain special elections with other elections and sets municipal qualifying standards. Yes 537,927 (73.64%); no 192,577 (26.36%).
• Constitutional offices: revisions tied to reestablished elected county offices. Yes 489,221 (68.56%); no 224,334 (31.44%).
• Technical changes: names, notices and style. Yes 450,873 (63.42%); no 260,023 (36.58%).
• Park advertising: would drop the sponsorship requirement. Yes 291,572 (39.59%); no 444,948 (60.41%).

Broward

The page, stamped 12:09:34 a.m. Nov. 4, lists mail ballots as partially reported.³

• School Board Question 1: continues a one-mill property tax from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2030, for safety, mental health, teacher pay and support staff at public and charter schools.¹³ Yes 418,178 (66.59%); no 209,856 (33.41%).
• County Question 1: a quarter-percent, five-year sales surtax for a county health care plan.¹⁴ For 334,902 (54.65%); against 277,869 (45.35%).
• County Question 2: lets the commission set an alternative plat approval process.¹⁵ Yes 301,193 (50.71%); no 292,816 (49.29%).
• County Question 3: the auditor nominating board would name three people, not one.¹⁶ Yes 419,565 (69.38%); no 185,188 (30.62%).

Palm Beach

The page, stamped 2:58:47 a.m. Nov. 4, lists mail ballots as partially reported.⁴ Ballot wording, summarized:¹⁷

• School District: continues 1.00 mills from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031, for safety, school police, mental health, certain teachers and teacher pay. Yes 411,632 (76.87%); no 123,851 (23.13%).
• Parks: up to $280,000,000 in general obligation bonds, repaid within 20 years from countywide property taxes. For 349,320 (66.17%); against 178,625 (33.83%).
• Library District: up to $175,000,000 in bonds, repaid within 20 years from district property taxes. For 231,550 (63.57%); against 132,706 (36.43%).

What the records do not show

• The Broward and Palm Beach pages do not say how many mail ballots remain uncounted.
• SignalData found no Broward sample ballot for this election; that wording comes from county resolutions and the school district, and the county question numbers from the Sun Sentinel’s voter guide.¹⁸
• This report omits municipal and special-district questions and the statewide amendments. The Tampa Bay Times, via Yahoo News, reported school tax results in other counties, including Pasco and Polk; SignalData did not open those pages.¹⁹