Senate Bill 1834

    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1834

    By Senator Meek





    36-904A-99                                          See HB 919

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to elections; creating s.

  3         101.675, F.S.; requiring periodic updating of

  4         the signatures of certain voters to facilitate

  5         signature verification of absentee ballots;

  6         requiring the supervisors of elections to send

  7         such voters a notice to sign and return for

  8         such purpose; requiring the notice sent to

  9         Hispanic registrants to be in both English and

10         Spanish; authorizing such updating at the main

11         office or any branch office of the supervisor;

12         providing an effective date.

13

14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

15

16         Section 1.  Section 101.675, Florida Statutes, is

17  created to read:

18         101.675  Updating of signatures of voters 55 years of

19  age or older.--The signature of each registered voter who is

20  55 years of age or older shall be updated every 4 years as

21  provided in this section to facilitate the verification of

22  signatures on absentee ballots. As soon after the 1st day of

23  January as is practicable every 4 years, beginning with the

24  year 2000, the supervisor of elections of each county shall

25  send to every registered voter of that county who is 55 years

26  of age or older a notice for the voter to sign and return to

27  update the voter's signature. The notice sent to each voter

28  who has provided the information on his or her voter

29  registration application that he or she is Hispanic must be

30  provided in both English and Spanish. The notice must be sent

31  as nonforwardable, return-if-undeliverable mail and must

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1834
    36-904A-99                                          See HB 919




  1  include the return envelope for the voter to use. Any voter

  2  receiving such notice may instead update his or her signature

  3  at the main office or any branch office of the supervisor.

  4  Failure of a voter to update his or her signature under this

  5  section does not affect the registration of the voter or

  6  subject the voter to any civil or criminal penalty.

  7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2000.

  8

  9            *****************************************

10                          HOUSE SUMMARY

11
      Requires updating every 4 years of the signatures of
12    registered voters 55 years of age or older to facilitate
      signature verification of absentee ballots. Requires the
13    supervisors of elections to send such voters a notice to
      sign and return for such purpose, and requires the notice
14    sent to Hispanic registrants to be in both English and
      Spanish. Authorizes such updating at the main office or
15    any branch office of the supervisor.

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  2