House Bill hb0673
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 673
By Representative Wilson
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to voter registration; creating
3 s. 97.0584, F.S.; requiring each school
4 district to establish a voter registration
5 program that offers eligible high school
6 students in the district the opportunity to
7 register to vote or to update a voter
8 registration record at least once a year in the
9 spring; providing that participation is
10 mandatory for public high schools and voluntary
11 for nonpublic high schools; providing
12 requirements of the participating high schools,
13 the school districts, and the supervisors of
14 elections with respect to the program;
15 specifying eligibility requirements; providing
16 for use of county voting equipment in certain
17 school elections; providing an effective date.
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19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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21 Section 1. Section 97.0584, Florida Statutes, is
22 created to read:
23 97.0584 Voter registration of high school students.--
24 (1)(a) Each school district in the state shall
25 establish a voter registration program that provides every
26 eligible student enrolled in a high school in the district the
27 opportunity to register to vote or to update a voter
28 registration record at least once each year in the spring as
29 provided in this section. Registration under this section
30 includes preregistration as authorized under s. 97.041(1)(b).
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 673
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1 (b) Participation in the program is mandatory for all
2 public high schools and voluntary for each nonpublic high
3 school.
4 (2) The social sciences division of each school
5 district shall administer the program for the district and
6 shall coordinate the annual voter registration drive conducted
7 in the participating high schools in the district to ensure
8 compliance with this section.
9 (3)(a) Each participating high school in the district
10 shall conduct a voter registration drive each spring pursuant
11 to this section with the goal of registering a number of
12 students equal to its base group. The base group for each
13 school shall consist of those students who are enrolled in
14 American Government or Economics classes, who are at least 17
15 years of age as of April 10 of the year of the registration
16 drive, and who meet the requirements to become a registered
17 voter specified in s. 97.041. If the goal is not met with the
18 base group, students who are enrolled in a social studies
19 class other than American Government or Economics and who are
20 otherwise eligible may participate. If the goal is still not
21 met, students who are not enrolled in any social science class
22 but who are otherwise eligible may participate.
23 (b) Each participating high school shall conduct a
24 review of the voter registration applications filled out by
25 students at the school to ensure compliance with the
26 requirements for completeness specified in s. 97.053(5) and
27 shall submit the completed voter registration applications to
28 the school district for submission to the supervisor of
29 elections.
30 (4) The supervisor of elections of the county shall
31 provide the voter registration forms and other materials and
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 673
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1 support necessary to assist the school district in carrying
2 out its responsibilities under this section.
3 (5) This section neither requires an eligible student
4 to register nor prevents a school district from providing
5 eligible students the opportunity to register at other times
6 of the school year.
7 (6) As an adjunct to the program and to familiarize
8 students with the voting system used in the county of their
9 school district, each school district shall make arrangements
10 with the supervisor of elections for use of the county's
11 voting equipment in any election held in a high school in the
12 district in which only students are candidates, provided there
13 is no conflict with another scheduled election.
14 Section 2. Section 97.041, Florida Statutes, reads:
15 97.041 Qualifications to register or vote.--
16 (1)(a) A person may become a registered voter only if
17 that person:
18 1. Is at least 18 years of age;
19 2. Is a citizen of the United States;
20 3. Is a legal resident of the State of Florida;
21 4. Is a legal resident of the county in which that
22 person seeks to be registered; and
23 5. Registers pursuant to the Florida Election Code.
24 (b) A person who is otherwise qualified may
25 preregister on or after that person's 17th birthday and may
26 vote in any election occurring on or after that person's 18th
27 birthday.
28 (2) The following persons, who might be otherwise
29 qualified, are not entitled to register or vote:
30 (a) A person who has been adjudicated mentally
31 incapacitated with respect to voting in this or any other
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 673
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1 state and who has not had his or her right to vote restored
2 pursuant to law.
3 (b) A person who has been convicted of any felony by
4 any court of record and who has not had his or her right to
5 vote restored pursuant to law.
6 (3) A person who is not registered may not vote.
7 Section 3. Subsection (5) of section 97.053, Florida
8 Statutes, reads:
9 97.053 Acceptance of voter registration
10 applications.--
11 (5)(a) A voter registration application is complete if
12 it contains:
13 1. The applicant's name.
14 2. The applicant's legal residence address.
15 3. The applicant's date of birth.
16 4. An indication that the applicant is a citizen of
17 the United States.
18 5. The last four digits of the applicant's social
19 security number.
20 6. An indication that the applicant has not been
21 convicted of a felony or that, if convicted, has had his or
22 her civil rights restored.
23 7. An indication that the applicant has not been
24 adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting or
25 that, if so adjudicated, has had his or her right to vote
26 restored.
27 8. Signature of the applicant swearing or affirming
28 under the penalty for false swearing pursuant to s. 104.011
29 that the information contained in the registration application
30 is true and subscribing to the oath required by s. 3, Art. VI
31 of the State Constitution and s. 97.051.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 673
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1 (b) An applicant who fails to designate party
2 affiliation must be registered without party affiliation. The
3 supervisor must notify the voter by mail that the voter has
4 been registered without party affiliation and that the voter
5 may change party affiliation as provided in s. 97.1031.
6 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.
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9 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Requires each school district to establish a voter
11 registration program that offers eligible high school
students in the district the opportunity to register to
12 vote or to update a voter registration record at least
once a year in the spring. Provides that participation
13 is mandatory for public high schools and voluntary for
nonpublic high schools. Provides requirements of the
14 participating high schools, the school districts, and the
supervisors of elections with respect to the program.
15 Specifies eligibility requirements. Provides for use of
county voting equipment in certain school elections. See
16 bill for details.
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