Senate Bill sb1936
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 1936
By Senator Meek
36-1144-02 See HB
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to voter registration; creating
3 s. 97.0584, F.S.; requiring certain school
4 districts 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 in the
11 district and voluntary for nonpublic high
12 schools in the district; providing requirements
13 of the participating high schools, school
14 districts, and supervisors of elections with
15 respect to the program; specifying eligibility
16 requirements; providing for use of county
17 voting equipment in certain school elections;
18 providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Section 97.0584, Florida Statutes, is
23 created to read:
24 97.0584 High school voter registration program.--
25 (1)(a) Each school district in a county in which the
26 office of supervisor of elections is filled by appointment
27 rather than by election shall establish a voter registration
28 program that provides every eligible student enrolled in a
29 high school in the district the opportunity to register to
30 vote or to update a voter registration record at least once
31 each year in the spring as provided in this section.
1
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 1936
36-1144-02 See HB
1 Registration under this section includes preregistration as
2 authorized under s. 97.041(1)(b).
3 (b) Participation in the program is mandatory for all
4 public high schools in the district and voluntary for each
5 nonpublic high school in the district.
6 (2) The social sciences division of each school
7 district subject to this section shall administer the program
8 for the district and shall coordinate the annual voter
9 registration drive conducted in the participating high schools
10 in the district to ensure compliance with this section.
11 (3)(a) Each participating high school in a school
12 district subject to this section shall conduct a voter
13 registration drive each spring pursuant to this section with
14 the goal of registering a number of students equal to its base
15 group. The base group for each school shall consist of those
16 students who are enrolled in American Government or Economics
17 classes, who are at least 17 years of age as of April 10 of
18 the year of the registration drive, and who meet the
19 requirements to become a registered voter specified in s.
20 97.041.
21 (b) Each participating high school in a school
22 district subject to this section shall conduct a review of the
23 voter registration applications filled out by students at the
24 school to ensure compliance with the requirements for
25 completeness specified in s. 97.053(5) and shall submit the
26 completed voter registration applications to the school
27 district for submission to the supervisor of elections.
28 (4) The supervisor of elections of the county shall
29 provide the voter registration forms and other materials and
30 support necessary to assist the school district in carrying
31 out its responsibilities under this section.
2
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 1936
36-1144-02 See HB
1 (5) This section neither requires an eligible student
2 to register nor prevents a school district subject to this
3 section from providing eligible students the opportunity to
4 register at other times of the school year.
5 (6) As an adjunct to the program and to familiarize
6 students with the voting system used in their county, each
7 school district subject to this section shall make
8 arrangements with the supervisor of elections for use of the
9 county's voting equipment in any election held in a high
10 school in the district in which only students are candidates,
11 provided there is no conflict with another scheduled election.
12 Section 2. Section 97.041, Florida Statutes, reads:
13 97.041 Qualifications to register or vote.--
14 (1)(a) A person may become a registered voter only if
15 that person:
16 1. Is at least 18 years of age;
17 2. Is a citizen of the United States;
18 3. Is a legal resident of the State of Florida;
19 4. Is a legal resident of the county in which that
20 person seeks to be registered; and
21 5. Registers pursuant to the Florida Election Code.
22 (b) A person who is otherwise qualified may
23 preregister on or after that person's 17th birthday and may
24 vote in any election occurring on or after that person's 18th
25 birthday.
26 (2) The following persons, who might be otherwise
27 qualified, are not entitled to register or vote:
28 (a) A person who has been adjudicated mentally
29 incapacitated with respect to voting in this or any other
30 state and who has not had his or her right to vote restored
31 pursuant to law.
3
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 1936
36-1144-02 See HB
1 (b) A person who has been convicted of any felony by
2 any court of record and who has not had his or her right to
3 vote restored pursuant to law.
4 (3) A person who is not registered may not vote.
5 Section 3. Subsection (5) of section 97.053, Florida
6 Statutes, reads:
7 97.053 Acceptance of voter registration
8 applications.--
9 (5)(a) A voter registration application is complete if
10 it contains:
11 1. The applicant's name.
12 2. The applicant's legal residence address.
13 3. The applicant's date of birth.
14 4. An indication that the applicant is a citizen of
15 the United States.
16 5. The last four digits of the applicant's social
17 security number.
18 6. An indication that the applicant has not been
19 convicted of a felony or that, if convicted, has had his or
20 her civil rights restored.
21 7. An indication that the applicant has not been
22 adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting or
23 that, if so adjudicated, has had his or her right to vote
24 restored.
25 8. Signature of the applicant swearing or affirming
26 under the penalty for false swearing pursuant to s. 104.011
27 that the information contained in the registration application
28 is true and subscribing to the oath required by s. 3, Art. VI
29 of the State Constitution and s. 97.051.
30 (b) An applicant who fails to designate party
31 affiliation must be registered without party affiliation. The
4
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 1936
36-1144-02 See HB
1 supervisor must notify the voter by mail that the voter has
2 been registered without party affiliation and that the voter
3 may change party affiliation as provided in s. 97.1031.
4 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.
5
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7 HOUSE SUMMARY
8
Requires each school district in a county in which the
9 office of supervisor of elections is filled by
appointment rather than by election to establish a voter
10 registration program that offers eligible high school
students in the district the opportunity to register to
11 vote or to update a voter registration record at least
once a year in the spring. Provides that participation
12 is mandatory for public high schools in the district and
voluntary for nonpublic high schools in the district.
13 Provides requirements of the participating high schools,
school districts, and supervisors of elections with
14 respect to the program. Specifies eligibility
requirements. Provides for use of county voting
15 equipment in certain school elections. See bill for
details.
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