The Florida Senate

98.0979  Statewide voter registration database open to inspection; copies.--

(1)(a)  The voter registration information of the state constitutes public records. Any citizen shall be allowed to examine the voter registration records, but may not make any copies or extract therefrom except as provided by this section.

(b)  Within 15 days after a request for voter registration information, the division or supervisor of elections shall furnish any requested information, excluding only a voter's signature, social security number, and such other information that is by statute specifically made confidential or is exempt from public records requirements. A request for county information must be made to the supervisor of elections of that county, and a request for multicounty or statewide information must be made to the division. A supervisor of elections is not responsible for providing any information other than information from the supervisor's own county.

(c)  Actual costs of duplication of information authorized by this section for release to the public shall be charged in accordance with the provisions of s. 119.07

(2)  The information provided by the division or supervisor of elections pursuant to this section shall be furnished only to:

(a)  Municipalities;

(b)  Other governmental agencies;

(c)  Political candidates, for the purpose of furthering their candidacies;

(d)  Registered political committees, certified committees of continuous existence, and political parties or officials thereof, for political purposes only; and

(e)  Incumbent officeholders, for the purpose of reporting to their constituents.

(3)  Such information shall not be used for commercial purposes. No person to whom a list of registered voters is made available pursuant to this section, and no person who acquires such a list, shall use any information contained therein for purposes which are not related to elections, political or governmental activities, voter registration, or law enforcement.

(4)  Any person who acquires a list of registered voters from the division or supervisor of elections shall take and subscribe to an oath which shall be in substantially the following form:

I hereby swear (or affirm) that I am a person authorized by s. 98.0979, Florida Statutes, to acquire information on the registered voters of Florida; that the information acquired will be used only for the purposes prescribed in that section and for no other purpose; and that I will not permit the use or copying of such information by persons not authorized by the Election Code of the State of Florida.

 (Signature of person acquiring list) 

History.--s. 72, ch. 2001-40; s. 4, ch. 2002-17.