Pembroke Pines voters overwhelmingly support shifting the city’s municipal elections from March to November, according to a new poll released as city officials prepare to vote Wednesday evening on whether to advance a proposal that would ultimately put the change before voters.
The survey — conducted this month by Beacon Insights on behalf of Better Broward, a political committee tied to Vice Mayor Mike Hernández, who is pushing for the change — found more than 83% of respondents favor moving elections to November, with roughly three-quarters saying they “strongly support” the idea.
The poll of 301 Pembroke Pines voters, which carried a 5.7-percentage-point margin of error, showed support cutting across party and demographic lines. About 85% of Democrats, 82% of Republicans and 84% of independent or third-party voters back the change, along with more than 80% of nearly every age and ethnic group surveyed.
Black voters were somewhat less supportive but still favored the move by a wide margin, 77% to 10%.
Support grew stronger when voters received additional context. After being told the change could save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars while boosting participation, 93.4% of voters said they were for it, with just 2.2% preferring to keep elections in March.
Image via Beacon Insights.
Even when informed of a potential one-time cost of about $345,000 to implement the switch, more than 78% of voters still supported the idea.
The survey also suggests the change could significantly increase turnout. Nearly 79% of respondents said they would be more likely to vote if municipal elections were held in November, while about 19% said it would not affect their voting habits.
Those findings align with Hernández’s public push for the proposal in a March 29 op-ed he penned for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The poll’s timing is significant, as the Pembroke Pines Commissioners are scheduled Wednesday to take up Hernández’s ordinance, which would begin the formal process of placing a charter amendment before voters in November to decide whether to move city elections to November of even-numbered years.
City officials have been debating the proposal for weeks. Hernández has cited low turnout and high costs in recent municipal races, noting during a March 31 meeting that his own re-election drew about 9% turnout despite costing roughly $73,000, according to Pembroke Pines News.
“It’s a cost savings for our city, but most importantly, it’s just common sense,” the outlet quoted him as saying.
Other Commission members expressed a mix of support and concern. Mayor Angelo Castillo said he had reservations about increased partisanship aligning the city’s elections with national races could bring, but acknowledged the shift reflects “changing realities.”
Commissioner Thomas Good argued March elections help keep local races focused on community issues rather than national politics, while Commissioner Jay Schwartz warned the change could raise campaign costs and invite more outside spending.
If approved on first reading Wednesday evening, the ordinance would return for a second and final vote, tentatively scheduled for May 20. It would then be sent to the Broward County Supervisor of Elections for legal review and placement on the ballot, provided it meets required deadlines.
The ordinance itself would not immediately change election dates. Instead, it would ask voters to amend the city charter to redefine municipal general elections as occurring in November of even-numbered years, aligning them with federal, state and county contests.
To make that transition work, the proposal would extend the terms of current elected officials by about eight months. Under the plan, the Mayor and Commissioners in Districts 2 and 3 would serve until November 2028, while Commissioners in Districts 1 and 4 would serve until November 2030, maintaining staggered elections.
Beacon conducted the poll using a sample that included 41.5% Democrats, 27.8% Republicans and 30.7% independents or third-party voters. The poll was weighted to reflect a population that was 56.5% female and 59.5% age 50 or older.
Racially, respondents identified as 44.2% Hispanic, 25.4% White, 18.6% Black and 11.8% other.
Pembroke Pines is the second-most populous city in Broward County and one of the largest municipalities in South Florida, with a population of more than 170,000 residents.
Located west of Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale near the Miami-Dade County line, the suburban city is known for its master-planned communities, diverse population and extensive park system, and operates under a Mayor-Commission form of government.
