October 29 hearing comes just five days before Election Day, with early voting already underway.
At a Glance: Just days after Mayor Alix Desulme was disqualified for using bank-issued checks to pay his election fees, District 3 candidate Jobans Jules faces a similar challenge. Desulme’s final order specifically rejected both his 5% qualifying-fee check and his 1% state-assessment check. Unlike Desulme, Jules qualified through voter petition signatures, exempting him from the City’s 5% qualifying fee. However, Jules was still required to pay the separate 1% state assessment, and his use of a cashier’s check for that payment is now being challenged. His hearing is October 29, five days before Election Day. District 3 has three candidates: incumbent Mary Estimé-Irvin and challengers Jules and Carolina Matamoros.
Desulme’s Final Order: Both Checks Rejected
On October 19, Judge Beatrice Butchko Sanchez disqualified Desulme after finding that two TD Bank official checks submitted during qualifying failed to meet Florida’s election requirements.
The court identified both payments:
- $4,494 for North Miami’s 5% qualifying fee.
- $898.80 for the separate 1% state election assessment.
Both were bank-issued official checks rather than checks drawn on Desulme’s campaign account. On page 4 of her final order, the judge expressly declared both checks insufficient under Florida Statute §99.061(7)(a)1 and North Miami Code §6-21(d).
What Does Florida Election Law Say?
Florida Division of Elections Advisory Opinion DE 13-04 directly addresses the 1% municipal election assessment. The opinion concludes that, absent an applicable local exception, the assessment must be paid using a check drawn on the candidate’s campaign account. It also states that a candidate who fails to comply should not be qualified.
Incumbent Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin filed an emergency lawsuit on October 13 challenging Jules’s $779.10 Truist cashier’s check for that assessment. Jules qualified through petitions, exempting him from North Miami’s separate 5% qualifying fee. His petition qualification is not being challenged.
The court must determine whether his petition qualification changes the requirements for paying the separate 1% assessment. Desulme’s ruling provides a close comparison but does not automatically decide Jules’s case.
Three Candidates, but Little Time for Voters
District 3 has three candidates: incumbent Mary Estimé-Irvin and challengers Jobans Jules and Carolina Matamoros. Matamoros remains qualified, with no reported legal challenge to her candidacy.
If Jules is disqualified, voters would still have a choice between Estimé-Irvin and Matamoros. However, early voting began October 19, and vote-by-mail ballots have already been distributed. Voters who cast ballots for Jules before a possible disqualification generally cannot change their selections.
This contrasts with the September 3 disqualification of District 2 candidate Hector Medina, which gave voters nearly two months to reconsider their choices.
Why This Hearing Matters
The October 29 hearing comes five days before the November 3 election. The dispute also raises questions about North Miami’s handling of qualifying documents. The City accepted payments from candidates later disqualified by the courts. The issue is not whether candidates intended to violate the law, but whether their submissions satisfied the requirements—and whether those requirements are being enforced consistently.
Election laws should apply equally to every candidate. Qualification disputes should also be resolved early enough for voters to make informed choices.
Hearing details: Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 3 p.m., before Judge Abby Cynamon, Room 22C, Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, 20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami. Case No. 2026-020720-CA-01.
Sources: Desulme’s October 19 final order; Estimé-Irvin’s October 13 emergency complaint; Florida Division of Elections Advisory Opinion DE 13-04; October 29 hearing notice.
