Senate Bill sb0516
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Florida Senate - 2003 SB 516
By Senator Wilson
33-182-03
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;
9 providing that participation is mandatory for
10 public high schools in the district and
11 voluntary for nonpublic high schools in the
12 district; providing requirements of the
13 participating high schools, school districts,
14 and supervisors of elections with respect to
15 the program; specifying eligibility
16 requirements; providing for use of county
17 voting equipment in certain school elections;
18 reenacting ss. 97.041, 97.053, F.S.; providing
19 an effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Section 97.0584, Florida Statutes, is
24 created to read:
25 97.0584 High school voter registration program.--
26 (1)(a) The school district in each county in which the
27 office of supervisor of elections is filled by appointment
28 rather than by election shall establish a voter registration
29 program that provides every eligible student enrolled in a
30 high school in the district the opportunity to register to
31 vote or to update a voter registration record at least once
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Florida Senate - 2003 SB 516
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1 each year as provided in this section. Registration under
2 this section includes preregistration as authorized under s.
3 97.041(1)(b).
4 (b) Participation in the program is mandatory for all
5 public high schools in the district and voluntary for each
6 nonpublic high school in the district.
7 (2) The social sciences division of each school
8 district subject to this section shall administer the program
9 for the district and shall coordinate the annual voter
10 registration drive conducted in the participating high schools
11 in the district to ensure compliance with this section.
12 (3)(a) Each participating high school in a school
13 district subject to this section shall conduct a voter
14 registration drive each year pursuant to this section with the
15 goal of registering a number of students equal to its base
16 group. The base group for each school consists of those
17 students who are enrolled in American Government or Economics
18 classes, who are at least 17 years of age as of April 10 of
19 the year of the registration drive, and who meet the
20 requirements to become a registered voter specified in s.
21 97.041.
22 (b) Each participating high school in a school
23 district subject to this section shall conduct a review of the
24 voter registration applications filled out by students at the
25 school to ensure compliance with the requirements for
26 completeness specified in s. 97.053(5) and shall submit the
27 completed voter registration applications to the school
28 district for submission to the supervisor of elections.
29 (4) The supervisor of elections of the county shall
30 provide the voter registration forms and other materials and
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Florida Senate - 2003 SB 516
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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 does not require an eligible student
4 to register and does not prevent a school district subject to
5 this section from providing eligible students the opportunity
6 to register at other times of the school year.
7 (6) As an adjunct to the program and to familiarize
8 students with the voting system used in their county, each
9 school district subject to this section shall make
10 arrangements with the supervisor of elections for use of the
11 county's voting equipment in any election held in a high
12 school in the district in which only students are candidates,
13 if there is no conflict with another scheduled election as
14 determined by the supervisor of elections.
15 Section 2. Section 97.041, Florida Statutes, is
16 reenacted to read:
17 97.041 Qualifications to register or vote.--
18 (1)(a) A person may become a registered voter only if
19 that person:
20 1. Is at least 18 years of age;
21 2. Is a citizen of the United States;
22 3. Is a legal resident of the State of Florida;
23 4. Is a legal resident of the county in which that
24 person seeks to be registered; and
25 5. Registers pursuant to the Florida Election Code.
26 (b) A person who is otherwise qualified may
27 preregister on or after that person's 17th birthday and may
28 vote in any election occurring on or after that person's 18th
29 birthday.
30 (2) The following persons, who might be otherwise
31 qualified, are not entitled to register or vote:
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Florida Senate - 2003 SB 516
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1 (a) A person who has been adjudicated mentally
2 incapacitated with respect to voting in this or any other
3 state and who has not had his or her right to vote restored
4 pursuant to law.
5 (b) A person who has been convicted of any felony by
6 any court of record and who has not had his or her right to
7 vote restored pursuant to law.
8 (3) A person who is not registered may not vote.
9 Section 3. Subsection (5) of section 97.053, Florida
10 Statutes, is reenacted to read:
11 97.053 Acceptance of voter registration
12 applications.--
13 (5)(a) A voter registration application is complete if
14 it contains:
15 1. The applicant's name.
16 2. The applicant's legal residence address.
17 3. The applicant's date of birth.
18 4. An indication that the applicant is a citizen of
19 the United States.
20 5. The last four digits of the applicant's social
21 security number.
22 6. An indication that the applicant has not been
23 convicted of a felony or that, if convicted, has had his or
24 her civil rights restored.
25 7. An indication that the applicant has not been
26 adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting or
27 that, if so adjudicated, has had his or her right to vote
28 restored.
29 8. Signature of the applicant swearing or affirming
30 under the penalty for false swearing pursuant to s. 104.011
31 that the information contained in the registration application
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1 is true and subscribing to the oath required by s. 3, Art. VI
2 of the State Constitution and s. 97.051.
3 (b) An applicant who fails to designate party
4 affiliation must be registered without party affiliation. The
5 supervisor must notify the voter by mail that the voter has
6 been registered without party affiliation and that the voter
7 may change party affiliation as provided in s. 97.1031.
8 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.
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11 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
12
Requires the school district in each county in which the
13 office of supervisor of elections is filled by
appointment to establish a voter registration program
14 that offers eligible high school students in the district
the opportunity to register to vote or to update a voter
15 registration record at least once a year. Provides that
participation is mandatory for public high schools in the
16 district and voluntary for nonpublic high schools in the
district. Provides requirements of the participating
17 high schools, school districts, and supervisors of
elections with respect to the program. Specifies
18 eligibility requirements. Provides for use of county
voting equipment in certain school elections.
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