Florida Senate - 2012 SB 516
By Senator Rich
34-00472A-12 2012516__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to early voting; amending s. 101.657,
3 F.S.; expanding the list of available sites at which
4 early voting may be held to include specified
5 facilities or any other location designated by a
6 supervisor of elections as meeting the requirements of
7 state law; deleting a requirement that an early voting
8 site be designated and used as such for at least 1
9 year before an election; requiring that each county
10 operate a certain total number of voting sites;
11 revising the beginning and ending dates of early
12 voting; revising the hours of early voting to 12 hours
13 per weekday and 12 hours in the aggregate each weekend
14 at each site during the applicable periods; deleting
15 provisions that authorize the supervisor of elections
16 to provide early voting for certain elections and to
17 determine the hours of operation of early voting sites
18 in those elections; providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
23 section 101.657, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
24 101.657 Early voting.—
25 (1)(a) As a convenience to the voter, the supervisor of
26 elections shall allow an elector to vote early in the main or
27 branch office of the supervisor and may allow such early voting
28 in any city hall, public library facility, courthouse, place of
29 worship, civic center, convention center, community center,
30 county government center, conference center, community college
31 facility, university or college, fairgrounds, or any other
32 location designated by the supervisor as meeting the
33 requirements of this section. The supervisor shall mark, code,
34 indicate on, or otherwise track the voter’s precinct for each
35 early voted ballot. In order for a branch office to be used for
36 early voting, it shall be a permanent facility of the supervisor
37 and shall have been designated and used as such for at least 1
38 year prior to the election. The supervisor may also designate
39 any city hall or permanent public library facility as Early
40 voting sites; however, if so designated, the sites must be
41 geographically located so as to provide all voters in the county
42 an equal opportunity to cast a ballot, insofar as is
43 practicable. Each county shall operate the same total number of
44 early voting sites that it used for the 2008 general election,
45 or one early voting site plus one additional early voting site
46 for every complete set of 65,000 registered voters in the county
47 as of July 1 of each general election year, whichever is
48 greater. The results or tabulation of votes cast during early
49 voting may not be made before the close of the polls on election
50 day. Results shall be reported by precinct.
51 (d) Early voting shall begin on the 15th 10th day before an
52 election that contains state or federal races and end on the 2nd
53 3rd day before the election. For purposes of a special election
54 held pursuant to s. 100.101, early voting shall begin on the 8th
55 day before the election and end on the 2nd day before the
56 election. Early voting, and shall be provided for 12 no less
57 than 6 hours per weekday and 12 hours in the aggregate each
58 weekend no more than 12 hours per day at each site during the
59 applicable periods. Early voting sites shall open no sooner than
60 7 a.m. and close no later than 7 p.m. on each applicable day.
61 period. The supervisor of elections may provide early voting for
62 elections that are not held in conjunction with a state or
63 federal election. However, the supervisor has the discretion to
64 determine the hours of operation of early voting sites in those
65 elections.
66 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.