CS/HB 537
Engrossed 2 2007 Legislature
hb0537-04-er
Florida House of Representative
A bill to be entitled "An act relating to elections; amending s. 97.021, F.S.; redefining the term "third-party registration organization"; amending s. 97.0575, F.S.; revising fines applicable to violations of requirements relating to third-party voter registrations; amending s. 103.121 F.S.; revising the dates relating to the presidential preference primary; amending s. 101.75, F.S.; authorizing municipalities to move their election date by ordinance to coincide with the presidential preference primary; amending s. 101.151, F.S.; authorizing the use of ballot on-demand technology to produce certain marksense ballots; creating s. 101.56075, F.S.; requiring all voting to be by marksense ballot; providing an exemption for voters with disabilities; requiring voter interface devices for individuals with disabilities by a specified date; amending s. 101.5612, F.S.; requiring the use of certain marksense ballots for pre-election testing; amending s.101.591, F.S.; requiring post-election, random audits of voting systems; providing general audit procedures; mandating that audit results be reported to the Department of State; prescribing requirements for audit reports; granting rulemaking authority to the department to adopt detailed, uniform audit procedures and a standard audit reporting form; providing procedures for the purchase of new voting systems and ballot equipment and the disposition of existing touchscreen voting systems for certain counties; authorizing the Department of State to purchase optical scan voting equipment and ballot-on demand equipment for certain counties; appropriating funds for such purpose; amending s. 97.041, F.S.; authorizing qualified persons to pre-register to vote on or after receipt of a valid driver's license; amending s. 97.053, F.S.; requiring an applicant for voter registration to be notified when the application cannot be verified; providing for registration upon presentation of evidence of a driver's license number, identification card number, or the last four digits of the applicant's social security number; changing the time within which a person casting a provisional ballot may present evidence of eligibility to vote; changing the time for voter registrations to be entered into the statewide voter registration system; amending s. 99.012, F.S.; exempting persons seeking federal office from the resign-to-run law; amending s. 99.021, F.S.; prescribing form of oath for candidates for federal office; amending s. 99.061, F.S.; prescribing times for qualifying for nomination or election; prescribing specific procedures for qualifying for special district office; providing that the filing fee of a candidate for a special district election need not be drawn on a campaign account; amending s. 99.095, F.S.; prescribing the number of signatures required for a candidate for special district office to qualify by petition; prescribing the time for certification to the Division of Elections of certain candidates qualifying by petition; amending s. 99.096, F.S.; changing manner of candidate selection by minor political parties; repealing s. 99.0965, F.S., relating to the selection of minor party candidates; amending s. 100.041, F.S.; prescribing the time when a county commissioner is deemed elected; amending s. 100.051, F.S.; revising requirements relating to candidates' whose names must be printed on general election ballots; amending s. 100.061, F.S.; changing the date of the primary election; amending s. 100.111, F.S.; revising provisions relating to choosing political party nominees for a special election; amending s. 100.191, F.S.; revising the time for canvassing special election returns; amending s. 100.371, F.S.; requiring initiative petition forms to be signed by the constitutionally required distribution of electors; amending timeframes for verifying petition signatures; prescribing information that must be on a petition initiative form, and conditions with which the elector signing it must comply, before the form may be verified; providing procedures for revocation of a signature on a petition form; amending s. 101.043, F.S.; revising forms of identification accepted at the polls; amending s. 101.048, F.S.; changing the time within which a person casting a provisional ballot may present evidence of eligibility to vote; amending s. 101.573, F.S.; changing the time for filing precinct-level election results; requiring such results to be filed with respect to special elections; prescribing requirements for such data; amending s. 101.6103, F.S.; changing the time to begin canvassing mail ballots; amending s. 101.62, F.S.; revising the period of effectiveness of a request for an absentee ballot; revising the time for sending an absentee ballot to an overseas elector; revising time period for providing absentee ballots; amending s. 101.68, F.S.; changing the time to begin canvassing absentee ballots; amending s. 102.112, F.S.; changing the deadline for submitting county returns to the Department of State; amending s. 102.141, F.S.; requiring submission of preliminary returns in certain format by election night to the Department of State; changing the time to submit unofficial returns; amending s. 102.166, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; amending s. 103.081, F.S.; allowing political parties to file with the Department of State names of groups associated with a party; prescribing conditions on the use of those filed names; amending s. 103.091, F.S.; revising the number of and the qualifications for state committeemen and committeewomen; changing the times for qualifying for election to a political party executive committee; amending s. 103.141, F.S.; providing that officers and members of a county executive committee may be removed from office pursuant to s. 103.161; repealing s. 103.151, F.S., relating to the removal of a state executive committee member for violation of the member's oath of office; creating s. 103.161, F.S.; providing for the removal or suspension of officers and members of a state or county executive committee for violation of the officer's or member's oath of office; prescribing procedures for such removal and restrictions after removal; amending s. 105.031, F.S.; changing the times for qualifying for school board candidates; amending s. 106.021, F.S.; revising qualifications for a campaign treasurer and deputy treasurer for a candidate or political committee; amending s. 106.04, F.S.; authorizing certain entities to collect and forward membership dues to committees of continuous existence; amending s. 106.055, F.S.; prescribing valuation method for travel on a private aircraft; amending s. 106.08, F.S.; prescribing procedures for receiving and transferring contributions made to political committees and committees of continuous existence; amending s. 106.09, F.S.; revising prohibition on making or accepting a cash contribution; amending s. 106.143, F.S.; providing disclosure requirements for political advertisements made pursuant to s. 106.021(3)(d), F.S.; amending s. 106.17, F.S.; revising who may authorize or conduct polls or surveys relating to candidates; amending s. 106.25, F.S.; revising requirements for complaints filed alleging violations of chapters 106 and 104, F.S.; revising procedures after certain complaints are filed; providing for the withdrawal of certain complaints; providing for the Florida Elections Commission to maintain a searchable database of all final orders and agency actions and providing requirements for such database; amending s. 106.35, F.S.; revising the time for the Division of Elections to distribute funds to candidates; amending s. 112.51, F.S.; providing for filling vacancies created when a municipal officer has been removed from office; repealing s. 106.37, F.S., relating to willful violations of campaign finance laws; amending s. 189.405, F.S.; revising qualification procedures for candidates for special district office; amending s. 191.005, F.S.; revising qualification procedures for candidates for independent special fire control district boards of commissioners; amending s. 582.18, F.S.; revising qualification procedures for candidates for soil and water conservation district supervisors; amending s. 876.05, F.S.; exempting candidates for federal office from taking the public employees' oath; requiring that all write-in candidates reside within the district of the office sought at the time of qualification; providing effective dates."
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: