City of Miami voters have two municipal questions near the end of their August 18 ballot. Referendum 1 would move future city elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years. Referendum 2 would authorize a long-term management agreement covering Miami Marine Stadium and Flex Park on Virginia Key.
By SoFlo Times Staff · Updated August 11, 2026
This is a neutral guide based on the official ballot and supporting city documents. All dates and dollar amounts are current as of August 2026.
Miami’s two municipal referendum questions appear on the City of Miami special-election ballot for August 18, 2026. Referendum 1 addresses the timing of city elections; Referendum 2 addresses management of Miami Marine Stadium and Flex Park. Source: Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections official sample ballot, published July 2026. Statistic: two city questions.
Who Gets Miami Referendums 1 and 2 on the August 18 Ballot
The questions go only to registered voters whose legal residence is inside the City of Miami. That includes city neighborhoods such as Coconut Grove, Brickell, Downtown, Little Havana, Allapattah, Liberty City and parts of Little Haiti.
A Miami mailing address or “Miami” ZIP code does not necessarily mean a voter lives within city limits. Residents of Miami Beach, Coral Gables, West Miami and unincorporated Miami-Dade will not receive the City of Miami questions unless their registered address is actually inside Miami’s municipal boundary.
The referendums are nonpartisan. City voters can receive them regardless of party registration, although the partisan primary contests elsewhere on each voter’s ballot will vary. Miami-Dade Elections recommends checking a personalized sample ballot before voting.
Referendum 1: What Changes—and What Stays the Same
A “yes” vote would amend Miami’s charter so general and runoff elections move from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years. The change would begin with elections in 2034 and 2036, allowing city contests to coincide with statewide or countywide elections.
The amendment would also change the candidate-qualification period and shorten the terms won in 2031 and 2033 from four years to three. The ballot summary does not state the revised qualification dates.
A “no” vote would leave the current odd-year cycle in place.
The proposal does not cancel the next two scheduled city election cycles. Elections for Districts 1, 2 and 4 would still occur in 2027 and 2031. Elections for mayor and Districts 3 and 5 would still occur in 2029 and 2033. The 2027 and 2029 winners would receive regular four-year terms.
If Referendum 1 passes, winners of Miami’s 2031 and 2033 elections would serve one-time three-year terms. Districts 1, 2 and 4 would next vote in 2034; the mayor and Districts 3 and 5 in 2036. Sources: Miami-Dade’s July 2026 ballot and the Miami Herald, updated May 14, 2026. Statistic: six offices shift.
The 2031-to-2036 Election Calendar if Referendum 1 Passes
The transition is easier to understand seat by seat:
| Election year | Offices scheduled | Term won |
|---|---|---|
| 2031 | Commission Districts 1, 2 and 4 | One-time three-year term |
| 2033 | Mayor and Commission Districts 3 and 5 | One-time three-year term |
| 2034 | Commission Districts 1, 2 and 4 | Regular four-year term |
| 2036 | Mayor and Commission Districts 3 and 5 | Regular four-year term |
After that transition, the two groups would remain staggered but would return every four years: Districts 1, 2 and 4 in 2038, for example, and the mayor plus Districts 3 and 5 in 2040.
In practical terms, Referendum 1 shortens two future sets of terms to reach the even-year calendar. It does not add a year to the terms won in 2027 or 2029.
Referendum 2: What the Marine Stadium Ballot Language Authorizes
Referendum 2 asks whether Miami may enter into a management agreement with Global Spectrum L.P. to activate and manage events at the historic Miami Marine Stadium and adjacent Flex Park, 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway.
The ballot presents four financial and operating terms:
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The city receives 93% of gross event sales after deduction of a $33,333 monthly management fee.
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The city receives 85% of sponsorship revenue.
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The agreement has a potential 40-year term.
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Global Spectrum pays the city up to $10 million toward restoration of the stadium.
A “yes” vote authorizes the city to proceed with an agreement consistent with those terms. A “no” vote rejects that authorization. The question does not establish an opening date, total restoration price or complete construction financing plan.
Referendum 2 covers Miami Marine Stadium and Flex Park at 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway. The ballot specifies a 40-year potential term, a $33,333 monthly fee, 93% of gross event sales after that fee and 85% of sponsorship revenue to the city, plus up to $10 million from Global Spectrum. Source: Miami-Dade’s July 2026 master ballot.
What the Stadium Financial Proposal Adds Beyond the Ballot Summary
The underlying Oak View Group financial proposal, dated August 28, 2025, contains terms that do not fit in the ballot summary. Global Spectrum is an Oak View Group company.
First, the proposal describes a 10-year initial operating term followed by as many as three additional 10-year renewals. Each renewal would require mutual agreement. The “40 year term” printed on the ballot is therefore the potential maximum described in the proposal, not four decades guaranteed at the outset.
Second, $33,333 per month equals $399,996 per year—effectively the proposal’s $400,000 annual base management fee, with a four-dollar difference caused by rounding. The proposal separately gives the operator 7% of gross event revenue and food-and-beverage sales, plus 15% of sponsorship and premium-seating revenue.
Third, the proposed contribution is “up to” $10 million rather than an unconditional $10 million payment. The document divides it into as much as $5 million at the first public event and another $5 million on that event’s fifth anniversary. If the contract ends before those investments are fully amortized, the proposal says the city would repay the unamortized balance.
The document also assigns the city responsibility for remaining design and construction costs, furniture, fixtures and equipment, and operating and maintenance expenses. Parking compensation would be negotiated separately. Capital contributions remain dependent on agreed design and programming requirements and Oak View Group board approval.
Those are proposal terms, not additional words on the binding ballot summary. The city’s supporting resolution says voter approval would allow the city manager to finalize an agreement consistent with the terms presented to voters; it would not approve a separate future lease or every component of a capital-improvement program.
How and When City of Miami Voters Can Cast a Ballot
Early voting is underway. According to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections schedule, sites are open:
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August 10–14: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
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August 15–16: 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Convenient city locations include the Hispanic Branch Library at 1398 SW First Street, Lemon City Branch Library at 430 NW 61st Street, the Historic Garage at 3250 South Miami Avenue and Stephen P. Clark Government Center at 111 NW First Street. Our South Florida early-voting guide covers the broader county schedule.
On Election Day, Tuesday, August 18, assigned precincts are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters in line by 7 p.m. may vote. Bring a current identification document containing a name, photograph and signature; the county’s voter toolkit lists accepted forms.
The deadline to register was July 20, and the deadline to request a mailed ballot was August 6. A ballot already received by mail must reach the Elections Department—not merely be postmarked—by 7 p.m. August 18. It can also be taken to a staffed secure intake station during early voting or returned by Election Day to Elections headquarters at 2700 NW 87th Avenue or the Stephen P. Clark Government Center.
Polls close at 7 p.m. August 18. SoFlo Times will update this guide with results and implementation details after returns become available. Subscribe to the SoFlo Times newsletter for that update and other practical South Florida election coverage.