10/18/2026
Attention Monroe County Voters - Update On the Big Pine key Early Voting Site
Read this Press Release:
Unlocked Door at Early Voting Site Prompts Voting Machine Swap Ahead of Early Voting which Starts Monday October 19th
KEY WEST, FL. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 18, 2026
Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies announced today that she swapped out the voting tabulator machines at the Big Pine Community Park early voting site after being informed that the door to that site was discovered unlocked. Hodies and her staff tested substitute tabulator machines prior to moving them to Big Pine to eliminate any question that the unlocked door affected the accuracy of the early voting results from the Big Pine site. Hodies also replaced the electronic voter identification systems used to register voters at Big Pine.
The Sheriff’s office is investigating the matter.
On Saturday, October 17th, Supervisor Hodies was alerted by a citizen that the citizen had found the door to the early voting site at the Big Pine Community Park unlocked with the voting equipment inside, unattended. That equipment had been placed there in preparation for early voting, which starts on Monday October 19th.
The citizen also alerted a Monroe County Park staff member who immediately secured the door. The Supervisor went to the site to confirm that the polling location was secured and that the machines had not been tampered with.
Later in the day, Hodies met with Sheriff’s deputies who are investigating the incident. Hodies also met with County staff to add additional security to the polling location.
On Sunday, October 18th, Supervisor Hodies and her staff, under the Supervision of the Monroe County Canvassing Board, conducted logic and accuracy testing on voting tabulator machines that had been held in reserve at her Key West office.
The substitute machines were then transported by Monroe County Facilities staff to the Big Pine Community Center early voting site under the supervision of Hodies.
Supervisor Hodies commented on this weekend’s events, “Once alerted to the problem, we took immediate steps to secure the room and replace the tabulator machines and electronic voter identification systems at Big Pine Community Park to eliminate any question about the results from that location. While the election equipment was not compromised, we acted to ensure voter confidence in the election results.
I want to thank Sheriff Ramsay, his deputies, Canvassing Board Members Judge Al Kelley, Judge Derek Lewis, and Tax Collector Sam Steele, and county staff for their efforts to ensure that voters can cast their vote with confidence at the Big Pine Community Park starting Monday, October 19th.”
Early voting starts Monday, October 19th and runs until Saturday October 31st - which includes 2 Saturdays and 1 Sunday - from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at five locations in Monroe County:
1. Supervisor of Elections Headquarters,
5200 College Road, Key West;
2. Big Pine Community Park,
31009 Atlantis Drive, Big Pine Key;
3. Supervisor of Election’s Branch Office,
10015 Overseas Hwy, Marathon;
4. Community Center in Old Courthouse,
88820 Overseas Hwy., Plantation Key;
5. Supervisor of Election’s Branch Office,
Murray Nelson Government Center,
102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo.
For more information contact Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies at 305-292- 3416. 30
