| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to elections; amending s. 101.62, F.S.; |
| 3 | authorizing an elector to attain status as a permanent |
| 4 | absentee voter; specifying circumstances under which a |
| 5 | request for an absentee ballot may be considered canceled; |
| 6 | amending s. 101.657, F.S.; specifying sites that may be |
| 7 | used as early voting facilities; eliminating certain |
| 8 | requirements for branch offices that are used for early |
| 9 | voting; revising the number of hours for which early |
| 10 | voting must be provided during applicable periods; |
| 11 | amending s. 101.694, F.S.; providing that the postcard |
| 12 | application request for an absentee ballot is effective |
| 13 | for all future elections; providing an effective date. |
| 14 |
|
| 15 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 16 |
|
| 17 | Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section |
| 18 | 101.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 19 | 101.62 Request for absentee ballots.-- |
| 20 | (1)(a) The supervisor may accept a request for an absentee |
| 21 | ballot from an elector in person or in writing. Except as |
| 22 | provided in s. 101.694, one request shall be deemed sufficient |
| 23 | to receive an absentee ballot for all future elections through |
| 24 | the next two regularly scheduled general elections, unless the |
| 25 | elector or the elector's designee indicates at the time the |
| 26 | request is made that the elections for which the elector desires |
| 27 | to receive the an absentee ballot only for specific elections. A |
| 28 | Such request for an absentee ballot may be considered canceled |
| 29 | when any first-class mail sent by the supervisor to the elector |
| 30 | is returned as undeliverable or when the elector notifies the |
| 31 | supervisor in person or in writing that he or she no longer |
| 32 | wishes to receive an absentee ballot. |
| 33 | Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of |
| 34 | section 101.657, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 35 | 101.657 Early voting.-- |
| 36 | (1)(a) As a convenience to the voter, the supervisor of |
| 37 | elections shall allow an elector to vote early in the main or |
| 38 | branch office of the supervisor. The supervisor shall mark, |
| 39 | code, indicate on, or otherwise track the voter's precinct for |
| 40 | each early voted ballot. In order for a branch office to be used |
| 41 | for early voting, it shall be a permanent facility of the |
| 42 | supervisor and shall have been designated and used as such for |
| 43 | at least 1 year prior to the election. The supervisor may also |
| 44 | designate any city hall, or permanent public library facility, |
| 45 | or any other facility open to the public as early voting sites; |
| 46 | however, if so designated, the sites must be geographically |
| 47 | located so as to provide all voters in the county an equal |
| 48 | opportunity to cast a ballot, insofar as is practicable. The |
| 49 | results or tabulation of votes cast during early voting may not |
| 50 | be made before the close of the polls on election day. Results |
| 51 | shall be reported by precinct. |
| 52 | (d) Early voting shall begin on the 15th day before an |
| 53 | election and end on the 2nd day before an election. For purposes |
| 54 | of a special election held pursuant to s. 100.101, early voting |
| 55 | shall begin on the 8th day before an election and end on the 2nd |
| 56 | day before an election. Early voting shall be provided for 8 |
| 57 | hours each day per weekday and 8 hours in the aggregate each |
| 58 | weekend at each site during the applicable periods. Early voting |
| 59 | sites shall open no sooner than 7 a.m. and close no later than 7 |
| 60 | p.m. on each applicable day. |
| 61 | Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 101.694, Florida |
| 62 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 63 | 101.694 Mailing of ballots upon receipt of federal |
| 64 | postcard application.-- |
| 65 | (1) Upon receipt of a federal postcard application for an |
| 66 | absentee ballot executed by a person whose registration is in |
| 67 | order or whose application is sufficient to register or update |
| 68 | the registration of that person, the supervisor shall mail to |
| 69 | the applicant a ballot, if the ballots are available for |
| 70 | mailing. The federal postcard application request for an |
| 71 | absentee ballot shall be effective for all future elections |
| 72 | through the next two regularly scheduled general elections. |
| 73 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |