Kathy Patterson, a 72-year-old retiree who lives in Miami Gardens, said one of the Florida constitutional amendments on the ballot this year was of particular interest to her.
Patterson, who cast her ballot for Kamala Harris for president at the North Dade Regional Library after early in-person voting started last week, said yes on Amendment 3 — which legalizes recreational pot use — because she said marijuana helps ease the symptoms of her medical condition.
“I have anxiety, and I have a medical marijuana license” permitting use, she said. “I wanted everybody else to have marijuana, so I voted yes.”

Patterson was one of more than 100,000 people to vote early in person since Oct. 21 in Miami-Dade County, according to the Florida Division of Elections. Besides voting for the next president, among other offices, Florida voters will decide whether to pass the recreational marijuana and abortion amendments.
A recent poll from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab found 66% approval for Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. The same poll showed 60% approval for Amendment 4, which would expand abortion rights in the state by eliminating Florida’s six-week abortion ban.
The proposed amendments need at least 60% of the votes statewide to be passed.
Julio Rios, who is 55 years old and lives in Doral, voted no on legalizing recreational pot at the Miami-Dade County Elections Department in Doral. Rios, who voted for Harris, is concerned about what he called the lack of definitions in the amendment.
“I think you control the dose and quality, but in this case, the wording was tricky,” Rios said.

On the abortion amendment, Maria Llorens, a 69-year-old retiree living in Hialeah, said she voted no because she believes abortions are morally wrong.
“Abortion is a crime against a baby that’s already formed,” Llorens said in Spanish, after voting at the John F. Kennedy Library in Hialeah. She backed Donald Trump for president.
Laterica Griffin, 44, an EMT and a resident of Miami Gardens, voted for Harris and yes on Amendment 4.
For Griffin, women’s reproductive rights are a top priority.
“Allowing women the right to choose, having their own option to say what happens to their body, that was probably the most important amendment for me,” Griffin said.
Early in-person voting continues seven days a week between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. until Nov. 3; Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Click here for more information on early voting and secure ballot intake stations.