Press kit
A free, open-source Miami-Dade voter guide that shows the money behind every race on your ballot, with every claim linked to the public record.
What it is
Ballot305 turns a Miami-Dade sample ballot into one page per race. For each candidate it lists donors and endorsements. For each referendum it shows who funds each side. For city incumbents it lists the agenda items that named one of their donors, with the vote, the mover and seconder, and the date the money arrived. Every row links to the city report, the signed minutes or the state filing it came from.
It takes no money from candidates, campaigns, parties or political committees. It makes no endorsements. Labor unions are labeled by the workers they represent, not left or right. Judicial retention races are shown as a plain yes/no question.
Research is AI-assisted and human-checked for every contested city race and every judicial seat. Corrections go to corrections@ballot305.org, are reviewed within 24 hours, and anything shown false comes down while it is corrected. Full method: ballot305.org/methodology.
Which cities let you see the money
Miami-Dade County Code 12-7 (Ordinance 23-63, 2023) requires every city to post current candidates' finance reports within seven days, plus the previous two elections. We checked all 18 cities on the Nov. 3 ballot against that rule and seven other records checks, by hand, on Oct. 13, 2026. The live table at ballot305.org/transparency links every cell to its source and logs each clerk's reply to our records requests.
| City | M1 | M2 | M3 | V1 | V2 | V3 | V4 | V5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aventura | Y | Y | N | Y | P | P | Y | Y |
| Biscayne Park | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Coral Gables | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y |
| Cutler Baypasses all 8 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Doralpasses all 8 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| El Portal | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Hialeah | P | P | P | P | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Key Biscayne | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | P | Y |
| Medley | P | Y | N | P | Y | P | P | N |
| Miami Gardens | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| North Miami | Y | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| North Miami Beach | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | P | P | Y |
| Opa-locka | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y |
| Palmetto Bay | Y | P | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y |
| Pinecrest | P | Y | N | Y | P | Y | Y | Y |
| South Miami | Y | Y | N | Y | P | Y | Y | Y |
| Sunny Isles Beach | P | N | Y | Y | P | Y | P | Y |
| Virginia Gardens | P | N | N | P | P | P | P | Y |
"N" means we could not find it on the city's site; it does not mean the record does not exist. Records requests went to six clerks on Oct. 12 with replies due Oct. 15.
Votes next to donors, as a method
For every incumbent in a contested city race, we read the 2025-26 minutes and listed each agenda item that named one of their donors. Most gifts came after the vote; they are shown because the pattern across a cycle is what matters. Unanimous votes stay in. Where an entity link rests on a shared address rather than confirmed ownership, the row says so. Two rows, to show the shape:
| Date | Item | Vote | Moved / seconded | Donation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2025 | Res C-2251, right-of-way dedication agreement with Florida Wood Recycling, NW 89 Ave road project (Medley) | Unanimous | Ayala / L. Rodriguez | $1,000 to each, Jul 28, 2026 | Signed minutes, town records portal |
| Mar 11, 2025 | Res 2025-R-77, first amendment to Redwood CP Dev 99-year lease, 1525 NW 135 St (North Miami) | 4-0, Timothe absent | Charles / Desulme | Redwood Dev Co $1,000 to Estimé-Irvin, Aug 31, 2026 | Signed resolution. LLC ownership not confirmed; shared office and registered agent |
Full table: ballot305.org/actions. CSV, one row per action and donor: ballot305.org/data/donor-actions.csv.
Four ways to cover it
The reference desk for your ballot
Service journalism. Early voting starts Oct. 19. 236 items on the countywide ballot, including judicial retentions and referendums most people skip. Free, no login.
Which cities let you see the money
A rule and a count. County Code 12-7 says every city must post its candidates' reports; 18 cities checked, 2 pass all eight checks. The cities that pass are the headline.
The same donors give to everyone
In Doral Seat 2, four firms gave to every candidate. In South Miami, 13th Floor gave to both Calle and Bonich. No claim about any vote.
A resident built it; fork it for your county
Civic tech. Built in two weeks by a Miami Beach resident with an economics and tech background. The repo is public and the methodology is documented.
Images
Free to publish with credit to ballot305.org. Take your own screenshots of any page; no permission needed.
Boilerplate
Press contact
Available for
- Interviews and on-air demos, screen share or in studio
- The full votes-and-donors table as CSV
- Fork instructions for another county