Florida Senate - 2005 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 506
Barcode 121834
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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11 The Committee on Ethics and Elections (Rich) recommended the
12 following amendment:
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14 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
15 On page 1, between lines 27 and 28,
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17 insert:
18 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 101.68, Florida
19 Statutes, is amended to read:
20 101.68 Canvassing of absentee ballot.--
21 (1) The supervisor of the county where the absent
22 elector resides shall receive the voted ballot, at which time
23 the supervisor shall compare the signature of the elector on
24 the voter's certificate with the signature of the elector in
25 the registration books to determine whether the elector is
26 duly registered in the county and may record on the elector's
27 registration certificate that the elector has voted. However,
28 an elector who dies after casting an absentee ballot but on or
29 before election day shall remain listed in the registration
30 books until the results have been certified for the election
31 in which the ballot was cast. The supervisor shall safely keep
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Florida Senate - 2005 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 506
Barcode 121834
1 the ballot unopened in his or her office until the county
2 canvassing board canvasses the vote.
3 Section 4. Subsection (2)(c)1. of section 101.68,
4 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
5 101.68 Canvassing of absentee ballot.--
6 (2)(a) The county canvassing board may begin the
7 canvassing of absentee ballots at 7 a.m. on the fourth day
8 before the election, but not later than noon on the day
9 following the election. In addition, for any county using
10 electronic tabulating equipment, the processing of absentee
11 ballots through such tabulating equipment may begin at 7 a.m.
12 on the fourth day before the election. However,
13 notwithstanding any such authorization to begin canvassing or
14 otherwise processing absentee ballots early, no result shall
15 be released until after the closing of the polls in that
16 county on election day. Any supervisor of elections, deputy
17 supervisor of elections, canvassing board member, election
18 board member, or election employee who releases the results of
19 a canvassing or processing of absentee ballots prior to the
20 closing of the polls in that county on election day commits a
21 felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s.
22 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
23 (b) To ensure that all absentee ballots to be counted
24 by the canvassing board are accounted for, the canvassing
25 board shall compare the number of ballots in its possession
26 with the number of requests for ballots received to be counted
27 according to the supervisor's file or list.
28 (c)1. The canvassing board shall, if the supervisor
29 has not already done so, compare the signature of the elector
30 on the voter's certificate with the signature of the elector
31 in the registration books to see that the elector is duly
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8:32 AM 02/22/05 s0506.ee34.002
Florida Senate - 2005 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 506
Barcode 121834
1 registered in the county and to determine the legality of that
2 absentee ballot. The ballot of an elector who casts an
3 absentee ballot shall be counted even if the elector dies on
4 or before election day. An absentee ballot shall be considered
5 illegal if it does not include the signature of the elector,
6 as shown by the registration records. However, an absentee
7 ballot shall not be considered illegal if the signature of the
8 elector does not cross the seal of the mailing envelope. If
9 the canvassing board determines that any ballot is illegal, a
10 member of the board shall, without opening the envelope, mark
11 across the face of the envelope: "rejected as illegal." The
12 envelope and the ballot contained therein shall be preserved
13 in the manner that official ballots voted are preserved.
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15 (Redesignate subsequent sections.)
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18 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ===============
19 And the title is amended as follows:
20 On page 1, line 8-12, delete those lines
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22 and insert:
23 amending s. 101.68(1), F.S.; providing that
24 electors who die on or before election day and
25 have cast an absentee ballot shall remain on
26 the voter registration books until the election
27 is certified; amending s. 101.68(2)(c)1, F.S.;
28 providing that the ballot of an elector who
29 casts an absentee ballot shall be counted even
30 if the elector dies on or before election day;
31 providing an effective date.
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