In the final weeks of the county mayoral race Hialeah firefighters are waging their own campaign — to educate residents about potential election fraud.
Teams of firefighters are knocking on doors and urging residents to take care of their absentee ballots in particular. They are handing out stamps to voters so that they can mail the ballots themselves.
“The message is protect the integrity of your vote,” said Mario Pico, the head of the Hialeah firefighters union, of the campaign.
The Hialeah firefighters launched their campaign in early June. Pico said the campaign was strictly nonpartisan and not political. The Metro-Dade Firefighters Local 1403 and Hialeah Association of Firefighters IAFF Local 1102 have endorsed Carlos Gimenez for county mayor. Gimenez was a fire chief in Miami before he was elected to the County Commission. Julio Robaina, the former Hialeah mayor, is also running for the top county job.