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The Florida Senate

2023 Florida Statutes (including 2023C)

Title IX ELECTORS AND ELECTIONS
Chapter 107
CONVENTIONS TO CONSIDER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
CHAPTER 107
CHAPTER 107
CONVENTIONS TO CONSIDER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
107.01 Conventions constituted.
107.02 Delegates.
107.03 Election of delegates.
107.04 Candidates file application; fee and petition for name on official ballot.
107.05 Official ballots.
107.06 Clerks and inspectors; compensation fixed.
107.07 Canvass of returns.
107.08 Convention time and place.
107.09 Convention powers; quorum; compensation.
107.10 Certification of convention action.
107.11 Appropriation for expenses.
107.01 Conventions constituted.—Whenever the Congress shall propose, to conventions in the several states, an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, for ratification or rejection, and shall not have provided the manner in which such conventions shall be constituted, the conventions in this state shall be chosen and constituted in the manner in this chapter prescribed and shall function in accordance with this chapter.
History.—s. 1, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(1).
107.02 Delegates.—Conventions shall consist of 67 delegates from the state at large. Each delegate shall possess the qualifications of a member of the House of Representatives of the Legislature of this state; and each shall hold office from the date of his or her election and until the convention shall have discharged the duties for which it was selected.
History.—s. 2, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(2); s. 656, ch. 95-147.
107.03 Election of delegates.—
(1) The delegates composing the convention shall be elected at a special election which shall be held in each county of this state on a date to be fixed by the Governor, not less than 5 months and not more than 10 months after the date of the proposal by the Congress. The Governor shall issue his or her call for such election at least 45 days prior to the date thereof, which, as soon as issued, shall be published by the Department of State at least one time, in a newspaper of general circulation in each county. Such election shall be conducted, except as herein specified, in all respects in the manner and form prescribed by the laws of this state for holding general elections.
(2) All electors who were duly qualified to vote in the last preceding general election shall be qualified to vote in such special election without further registration. The registration books in each county shall be opened 10 days after the Governor shall issue his or her call and shall remain open, in each county, until and including the 10th day before the election, during which time all persons who have not been registered, though entitled to be, or who shall have become entitled to registration since the last general election, shall be permitted to register. During the time in which the registration books are required to be kept open by this section, any registered voter shall be permitted to qualify to vote in such election.
(3) Provided, that if any general election be held in this state within 1 year after the date of the proposal by the Congress, such delegates shall be chosen at such general election and all electors qualified to vote in such general election shall be qualified to vote for such delegates, unless the Governor, by proclamation, shall require such delegates to be chosen at a special election, in which event they shall be elected as herein provided.
History.—s. 3, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(3); ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 657, ch. 95-147.
107.04 Candidates file application; fee and petition for name on official ballot.—
(1) Any person desiring to become a candidate for election as a delegate to said convention shall file a sworn application with the Department of State on such form as that department shall prescribe, not less than 20 days before the date of election, in which shall be stated the person’s name in full, residence, age, color, and occupation. Such application shall also state, under oath, that the applicant is a citizen of the United States and of the state and is a qualified elector of the county in which he or she resides. The applicant may also state whether or not he or she favors the ratification of the proposed amendment or opposes it and whether or not he or she desires his or her name to appear upon the ballot as favoring or opposing such amendment or as unpledged.
(2) If the applicant shall request that his or her name appear on the ballot as favoring or as opposing the amendment, his or her application shall be accompanied by a qualification fee of $25 and by one or more petitions, requesting that his or her name be placed upon the official ballot, and signed by not fewer than 500 qualified electors. It shall be permissible for any number of qualified voters to join in one or more petitions requesting the placing on the official ballot of the names of more than one candidate but not exceeding the total number to be elected. Any applicant may withdraw his or her name at any time before the ballots are actually printed.
History.—s. 4, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(4); ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 658, ch. 95-147.
107.05 Official ballots.—The ballots shall be prepared by the Department of State and distributed by it to the county commissioners in the several counties at least 10 days prior to such election. They shall contain the substance of the proposed amendment and in alphabetical order:
(1) The names of all candidates who shall have declared in favor of the ratification of such amendment;
(2) The names of all candidates who shall have declared against the ratification of such amendment; and
(3) The names of all candidates who shall have qualified without pledging themselves either for or against the amendment.

When delegates are elected at general elections as provided in s. 107.03, such matters shall be printed on the general election ballots. In either event, in addition to the names of unpledged candidates printed on said ballots and whether there be any such names on said ballots or not, there shall be provided, under subsection (3) blank lines in equal number to the number of persons who may be elected as such delegates.

History.—s. 5, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(5); ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106.
107.06 Clerks and inspectors; compensation fixed.—The board of county commissioners of each county shall appoint clerks and inspectors of election for such special election in accordance with the general election laws, except that such appointments may be made at any time more than 5 days prior to the election; whereupon they shall publish the names of such inspectors and clerks in a newspaper printed in the county. The clerks and inspectors of election shall receive compensation at the rate of $5 per diem for each day actually and necessarily served in performing their duties as such. Such compensation, together with other lawful expenses incurred by the several boards of county commissioners, shall be paid as provided in s. 107.11, after the several boards of county commissioners shall have certified the same to the Elections Canvassing Commission and such accounts shall have been approved by such Elections Canvassing Commission.
History.—s. 6, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(6); ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106.
107.07 Canvass of returns.—Within 3 days after the date of the special elections the county commissioners shall meet and canvass the returns thereof in their respective counties and transmit the same to the Department of State. Within 14 days after the date of the special elections the Elections Canvassing Commission shall meet and canvass such returns. The commission shall thereupon declare the 67 candidates who receive the greatest number of votes in the state at large to have been elected as delegates to the convention, and shall immediately issue a certificate of election to each of such persons. In case of a tie the commission shall select the delegates from those receiving the tie votes.
History.—s. 7, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(7); ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106.
107.08 Convention time and place.—The delegates to the convention shall meet in such place as shall be provided for that purpose by the Department of State, at the state capitol at Tallahassee on the second Tuesday in the month following their election, at 12 noon. They shall thereupon constitute a convention to ratify or reject the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
History.—s. 8, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(8); ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106.
107.09 Convention powers; quorum; compensation.—
(1) The convention shall have power to ratify or reject the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States for which it shall have been selected; to choose a president and a secretary and all other necessary officers, clerks and attaches to fill vacancies in its membership; and to make rules governing its procedure. It shall be the sole judge of the election and qualifications of its members. A majority of the total number of delegates elected to the convention shall constitute a quorum.
(2) The delegates to such convention shall serve without compensation or expenses; but the secretary and other officers, clerks and attaches shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the convention.
(3) The convention shall have no other power than that hereby expressly conferred or necessarily incident to the purpose of its creation; any other action attempted to be taken by it shall be utterly null, void, and of no effect.
History.—s. 9, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(9); s. 28, ch. 77-104.
107.10 Certification of convention action.—When the convention shall have agreed, by “yea” and “nay” vote of a majority of the total number of delegates elected, to the ratification or rejection of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, a certificate to that effect shall be executed by its president and secretary and filed with the Department of State of Florida. A copy of the minutes of its proceedings, likewise signed by such officials, shall also be filed with the Department of State. The Department of State of Florida, after the filing of such certificate, shall transmit a copy thereof, certified under the Great Seal of Florida, to the Secretary of State of the United States.
History.—s. 10, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(10); ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106.
107.11 Appropriation for expenses.—For the purpose of defraying the expenses of preparing for, conducting, holding, and declaring the result of the election provided for by this chapter and also for the purpose of defraying the expenses allowed by this chapter for the holding of sessions of the convention as herein provided, to be audited by the Chief Financial Officer, there is appropriated out of the General Revenue Fund of the State of Florida a sufficient sum of money for the payment of all amounts necessary to be expended under the terms of this chapter, which sums of money shall be disbursed by the State of Florida pursuant to warrants drawn by the Chief Financial Officer for the payment of same.
History.—s. 11, ch. 16180, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 319(11); s. 111, ch. 2003-261.