The Florida Senate

101.151  Specifications for ballots.--

(1)  Paper ballots shall be printed on paper of such thickness that the printing cannot be distinguished from the back.

(2)(a)  The ballot shall have headings under which shall appear the names of the offices and the names of the candidates for the respective offices in the following order: the heading "President and Vice President" and thereunder the names of the candidates for President and Vice President of the United States nominated by the political party that received the highest vote for Governor in the last general election of the Governor in this state. Then shall appear the names of other candidates for President and Vice President of the United States who have been properly nominated. Then shall follow the heading "Congressional" and thereunder the offices of United States Senator and Representative in Congress; then the heading "State" and thereunder the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture, state attorney, and public defender, together with the names of the candidates for each office and the title of the office which they seek; then the heading "Legislative" and thereunder the offices of state senator and state representative; then the heading "County" and thereunder clerk of the circuit court, clerk of the county court (when authorized by law), sheriff, property appraiser, tax collector, district superintendent of schools, and supervisor of elections. Thereafter follows: members of the board of county commissioners, and such other county and district offices as are involved in the election, in the order fixed by the Department of State, followed, in the year of their election, by "Party Offices," and thereunder the offices of state and county party executive committee members. In a general election, in addition to the names printed on the ballot, a blank space shall be provided under each heading for an office for which a write-in candidate has qualified. With respect to write-in candidates, if two or more candidates are seeking election to one office, only one blank space shall be provided.

(b)  When more than one candidate is nominated for office, the candidates for such office shall qualify and run in a group or district, and the group or district number shall be printed beneath the name of the office. Each nominee of a political party chosen in a primary shall appear on the general election ballot in the same numbered group or district as on the primary election ballot.

(c)  If in any election all the offices as set forth in paragraph (a) are not involved, those offices not to be filled shall be omitted and the remaining offices shall be arranged on the ballot in the order named.

(3)(a)  The names of the candidates of the party that received the highest number of votes for Governor in the last election in which a Governor was elected shall be placed first under the heading for each office on the general election ballot, together with an appropriate abbreviation of party name; the names of the candidates of the party that received the second highest vote for Governor shall be second under the heading for each office, together with an appropriate abbreviation of the party name.

(b)  Minor political party candidates and candidates with no party affiliation shall have their names appear on the general election ballot following the names of recognized political parties, in the same order as they were certified.

(4)(a)  The names of candidates for each office shall be arranged alphabetically as to surnames on a primary election ballot.

(b)  When two or more candidates running for the same office on a primary election ballot have the same or a similar surname, the word "incumbent" shall appear next to the incumbent's name.

(5)  The primary election ballot shall be arranged so that the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor are joined in a single voting space to allow each elector to cast a single vote for the joint candidacies for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, if applicable.

(6)  The general election ballot shall be arranged so that the offices of President and Vice President are joined in a single voting space to allow each elector to cast a single vote for the joint candidacies for President and Vice President and so that the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor are joined in a single voting space to allow each elector to cast a single vote for the joint candidacies for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

(7)  Except for justices or judges seeking retention, the names of unopposed candidates shall not appear on the general election ballot. Each unopposed candidate shall be deemed to have voted for himself or herself.

(8)(a)  The Department of State shall adopt rules prescribing a uniform primary and general election ballot for each certified voting system. The rules shall incorporate the requirements set forth in this section and shall prescribe additional matters and forms that include, without limitation:

1.  Clear and unambiguous ballot instructions and directions;

2.  Individual race layout; and

3.  Overall ballot layout.

(b)  The department rules shall graphically depict a sample uniform primary and general election ballot form for each certified voting system.

History.--s. 35, ch. 4328, 1895; GS 219; s. 1, ch. 5612, 1907; RGS 264; CGL 320; s. 5, ch. 17898, 1937; ss. 2, 3, ch. 25187, 1949; s. 5, ch. 26870, 1951; s. 3, ch. 29937, 1955; s. 1, ch. 57-235; s. 2, ch. 59-334; s. 8, ch. 65-380; s. 1, ch. 65-52; s. 2, ch. 65-60; s. 8, ch. 65-380; s. 4, ch. 67-386; ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 8, ch. 69-281; s. 1, ch. 69-380; s. 37, ch. 73-333; s. 1, ch. 77-102; s. 13, ch. 77-175; s. 33, ch. 79-400; s. 6, ch. 81-105; s. 11, ch. 81-304; s. 9, ch. 82-143; s. 20, ch. 89-338; s. 556, ch. 95-147; s. 14, ch. 99-318; s. 11, ch. 99-326; s. 14, ch. 99-355; s. 7, ch. 2001-40; s. 7, ch. 2002-17.

Note.--Former ss. 99.18, 99.171.