North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme has been disqualified from the November 3 mayoral election after a Miami-Dade judge ruled that the cashier’s checks he submitted to pay his qualifying fees did not satisfy Florida law.
The October 19 ruling by Miami-Dade Judge Beatrice Butchko Sanchez leaves George Morgan as the only remaining candidate in the race. Miami-Dade County has notified North Miami voters that, under the current status of the case, a vote in the mayoral race will not change the outcome because the remaining candidate is deemed elected by law.
Desulme intends to appeal. Until an appeal changes the ruling or a court issues a stay, voters should follow the county’s instructions: votes cast for Desulme will not count.
What happened to Desulme’s qualifying payment?
Desulme submitted two TD Bank cashier’s checks on August 10, 2026, to cover his qualifying fees. The checks totaled $5,392.80. Reporting on the case also notes the payment was 80 cents short of the required amount.
The dispute brought by Morgan focused on the payment method. Florida law requires a candidate paying a qualifying fee to submit a properly executed check drawn on the candidate’s campaign account. North Miami’s election code has a similar requirement.
A cashier’s check differs from a campaign-account check because the bank issues it and draws it on the bank, rather than the candidate’s campaign account. The distinction is about the legal form and source of the check, not simply whether money was received by the city. The judge ruled that the cashier’s checks did not meet the statutory requirement.
The court rejected Desulme’s argument that his payment substantially complied with the rules. In other words, the court did not accept that the payment should be treated as sufficient despite the alleged defects because the funds had been tendered.
Under Florida Statute § 99.061, failure to pay the qualifying fee as specified can disqualify a candidate. The law provides for a cashier’s check in a limited circumstance: when a candidate’s campaign check is returned by the bank, a replacement may be made with a cashier’s check purchased from campaign-account funds before the qualifying period ends.
Why the kind of check matters
Candidate qualifying rules set conditions that must be met within a specific period. Here, the qualifying period ran from August 10 through noon on August 20, according to court filings. The legal question was whether the documents Desulme submitted during that period met the statutory requirements, not simply whether the city received money.
The statute calls for a “properly executed check drawn upon the candidate’s campaign account.” A bank-issued cashier’s check is generally drawn on the bank’s own account. The judge concluded that the checks Desulme submitted did not satisfy the requirement.
That distinction can have significant consequences. A payment may reach the intended recipient, but if election law requires a particular payment instrument, a court may decide that receiving the money does not cure a failure to follow the prescribed process. The judge also rejected the argument that substantial compliance could excuse the defect.
The case follows other Florida disputes over campaign qualifying payments, but the ruling in Desulme’s case is the one that determines his eligibility in North Miami’s November 3 mayoral race. The court’s decision applies to his candidacy; this article does not address other races.
What North Miami voters need to know for November 3
Miami-Dade County’s notice to North Miami voters says a candidate in the mayoral race has been disqualified and that the race is now unopposed. The notice states that a vote in the race “will not change the outcome” because the remaining candidate is deemed by law elected.
Voters may still encounter Desulme’s name on a ballot that was prepared before the ruling. The county’s sample ballot lists both Desulme and Morgan. The county notice explains the effect of the court’s decision: a vote for Desulme will not be counted in the mayoral race.
That distinction matters. A name appearing on a printed ballot does not, by itself, mean the candidate remains legally qualified or that a vote for that candidate will count. Florida’s election procedures provide for voter notices when a candidate is disqualified after ballots have been prepared.
For updates on election administration, voters can check the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections and the City of North Miami’s election information. The county’s notice is the clearest guide to what the ruling means for this race as of October 20.
Desulme plans to appeal
Desulme’s attorney, Benedict P. Kuehne, said the mayor followed North Miami’s election-code requirements. Kuehne also characterized Morgan’s late challenge as an effort to sabotage the election process. Desulme intends to appeal the ruling.
The appeal could affect what happens next if a higher court reverses the decision or orders a stay. As of October 20, however, the ruling disqualifying Desulme remains in effect and the county has issued its notice to voters. Voters should look for any updated guidance from election officials before casting a ballot.
Morgan brought the challenge in court after arguing that the cashier’s checks did not meet the requirements in state law and the city code. The court sided with Morgan’s challenge and disqualified Desulme from the ballot.
The bottom line
The North Miami mayoral dispute turns on a narrow but consequential election-law question: whether Desulme paid his qualifying fees with the kind of check Florida law requires. Judge Sanchez ruled that the two cashier’s checks did not meet that requirement and rejected the argument that substantial compliance was enough.
For voters, the immediate consequence is straightforward. Morgan is the only remaining candidate, and Miami-Dade County says a vote in the mayoral race will not change the outcome under the current ruling. Desulme’s appeal is pending; any change to the county’s instructions would depend on subsequent court action.
