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| 1 | A bill to be entitled | ||
| 2 | An act relating to voter registration; creating s. | ||
| 3 | 97.0584, F.S.; requiring certain school districts to | ||
| 4 | establish a voter registration program that offers | ||
| 5 | eligible high school students in the district the | ||
| 6 | opportunity to register to vote or to update a voter | ||
| 7 | registration record at least once a year; providing that | ||
| 8 | participation is mandatory for public high schools in the | ||
| 9 | district and voluntary for nonpublic high schools in the | ||
| 10 | district; providing requirements of the participating high | ||
| 11 | schools, school districts, and supervisors of elections | ||
| 12 | with respect to the program; specifying eligibility | ||
| 13 | requirements; providing for use of county voting equipment | ||
| 14 | in certain school elections; reenacting ss. 97.041, | ||
| 15 | 97.053, F.S.; providing an effective date. | ||
| 16 | |||
| 17 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: | ||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | Section 1. Section 97.0584, Florida Statutes, is created | ||
| 20 | to read: | ||
| 21 | 97.0584 High school voter registration program.-- | ||
| 22 | (1)(a) The school district in each county in which the | ||
| 23 | office of supervisor of elections is filled by appointment | ||
| 24 | rather than by election shall establish a voter registration | ||
| 25 | program that provides every eligible student enrolled in a high | ||
| 26 | school in the district the opportunity to register to vote or to | ||
| 27 | update a voter registration record at least once each year as | ||
| 28 | provided in this section. Registration under this section | ||
| 29 | includes preregistration as authorized under s. 97.041(1)(b). | ||
| 30 | (b) Participation in the program is mandatory for all | ||
| 31 | public high schools in the district and voluntary for each | ||
| 32 | nonpublic high school in the district. | ||
| 33 | (2) The social sciences division of each school district | ||
| 34 | subject to this section shall administer the program for the | ||
| 35 | district and shall coordinate the annual voter registration | ||
| 36 | drive conducted in the participating high schools in the | ||
| 37 | district to ensure compliance with this section. | ||
| 38 | (3)(a) Each participating high school in a school district | ||
| 39 | subject to this section shall conduct a voter registration drive | ||
| 40 | each year pursuant to this section with the goal of registering | ||
| 41 | a number of students equal to its base group. The base group | ||
| 42 | for each school consists of those students who are enrolled in | ||
| 43 | American Government or Economics classes, who are at least 17 | ||
| 44 | years of age as of April 10 of the year of the registration | ||
| 45 | drive, and who meet the requirements to become a registered | ||
| 46 | voter specified in s. 97.041. | ||
| 47 | (b) Each participating high school in a school district | ||
| 48 | subject to this section shall conduct a review of the voter | ||
| 49 | registration applications filled out by students at the school | ||
| 50 | to ensure compliance with the requirements for completeness | ||
| 51 | specified in s. 97.053(5) and shall submit the completed voter | ||
| 52 | registration applications to the school district for submission | ||
| 53 | to the supervisor of elections. | ||
| 54 | (4) The supervisor of elections of the county shall | ||
| 55 | provide the voter registration forms and other materials and | ||
| 56 | support necessary to assist the school district in carrying out | ||
| 57 | its responsibilities under this section. | ||
| 58 | (5) This section does not require an eligible student to | ||
| 59 | register and does not prevent a school district subject to this | ||
| 60 | section from providing eligible students the opportunity to | ||
| 61 | register at other times of the school year. | ||
| 62 | (6) As an adjunct to the program and to familiarize | ||
| 63 | students with the voting system used in their county, each | ||
| 64 | school district subject to this section shall make arrangements | ||
| 65 | with the supervisor of elections for use of the county's voting | ||
| 66 | equipment in any election held in a high school in the district | ||
| 67 | in which only students are candidates, if there is no conflict | ||
| 68 | with another scheduled election as determined by the supervisor | ||
| 69 | of elections. | ||
| 70 | Section 2. Section 97.041, Florida Statutes, is reenacted | ||
| 71 | to read: | ||
| 72 | 97.041 Qualifications to register or vote.-- | ||
| 73 | (1)(a) A person may become a registered voter only if that | ||
| 74 | person: | ||
| 75 | 1. Is at least 18 years of age; | ||
| 76 | 2. Is a citizen of the United States; | ||
| 77 | 3. Is a legal resident of the State of Florida; | ||
| 78 | 4. Is a legal resident of the county in which that person | ||
| 79 | seeks to be registered; and | ||
| 80 | 5. Registers pursuant to the Florida Election Code. | ||
| 81 | (b) A person who is otherwise qualified may preregister on | ||
| 82 | or after that person's 17th birthday and may vote in any | ||
| 83 | election occurring on or after that person's 18th birthday. | ||
| 84 | (2) The following persons, who might be otherwise | ||
| 85 | qualified, are not entitled to register or vote: | ||
| 86 | (a) A person who has been adjudicated mentally | ||
| 87 | incapacitated with respect to voting in this or any other state | ||
| 88 | and who has not had his or her right to vote restored pursuant | ||
| 89 | to law. | ||
| 90 | (b) A person who has been convicted of any felony by any | ||
| 91 | court of record and who has not had his or her right to vote | ||
| 92 | restored pursuant to law. | ||
| 93 | (3) A person who is not registered may not vote. | ||
| 94 | Section 3. Subsection (5) of section 97.053, Florida | ||
| 95 | Statutes, is reenacted to read: | ||
| 96 | 97.053 Acceptance of voter registration applications.-- | ||
| 97 | (5)(a) A voter registration application is complete if it | ||
| 98 | contains: | ||
| 99 | 1. The applicant's name. | ||
| 100 | 2. The applicant's legal residence address. | ||
| 101 | 3. The applicant's date of birth. | ||
| 102 | 4. An indication that the applicant is a citizen of the | ||
| 103 | United States. | ||
| 104 | 5. The last four digits of the applicant's social security | ||
| 105 | number. | ||
| 106 | 6. An indication that the applicant has not been convicted | ||
| 107 | of a felony or that, if convicted, has had his or her civil | ||
| 108 | rights restored. | ||
| 109 | 7. An indication that the applicant has not been | ||
| 110 | adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting or | ||
| 111 | that, if so adjudicated, has had his or her right to vote | ||
| 112 | restored. | ||
| 113 | 8. Signature of the applicant swearing or affirming under | ||
| 114 | the penalty for false swearing pursuant to s. 104.011 that the | ||
| 115 | information contained in the registration application is true | ||
| 116 | and subscribing to the oath required by s. 3, Art. VI of the | ||
| 117 | State Constitution and s. 97.051. | ||
| 118 | (b) An applicant who fails to designate party affiliation | ||
| 119 | must be registered without party affiliation. The supervisor | ||
| 120 | must notify the voter by mail that the voter has been registered | ||
| 121 | without party affiliation and that the voter may change party | ||
| 122 | affiliation as provided in s. 97.1031. | ||
| 123 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003. | ||