| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to municipal elections; amending s. |
| 3 | 166.031, F.S.; providing circumstances under which a |
| 4 | candidate without opposition due to a specified vacancy in |
| 5 | candidacy shall be declared elected to office without |
| 6 | having to reopen the qualifying period and hold a |
| 7 | municipal special election; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
|
| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
|
| 11 | Section 1. Subsection (6) of section 166.031, Florida |
| 12 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 13 | 166.031 Charter amendments.- |
| 14 | (6) Each municipality shall, by ordinance or charter |
| 15 | provision, provide procedures for filling a vacancy in office |
| 16 | caused by death, resignation, or removal from office. The Such |
| 17 | ordinance or charter provision shall also provide procedures for |
| 18 | filling a vacancy in candidacy caused by death, withdrawal, or |
| 19 | removal from the ballot of a qualified candidate following the |
| 20 | end of the qualifying period which leaves fewer than two |
| 21 | candidates for an office. Notwithstanding any provisions adopted |
| 22 | pursuant to this subsection, if a vacancy in candidacy is caused |
| 23 | by the withdrawal or removal from the ballot of a qualified |
| 24 | candidate for the second time in the same contest or by the |
| 25 | death of such candidate, thereby leaving fewer than two |
| 26 | candidates for the office, the remaining candidate shall be |
| 27 | declared elected to the office without opposition and without |
| 28 | the need for reopening the qualifying period and holding a |
| 29 | municipal special election. |
| 30 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |