Florida Senate - 2011                (Corrected Copy)    SB 1266
       
       
       
       By Senator Altman
       
       
       
       
       34-01340-11                                           20111266__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to early voting; amending s. 101.657,
    3         F.S.; authorizing the supervisor of elections to
    4         designate any public university, college, or community
    5         college facility as an early voting site; requiring
    6         that the supervisor for each county establish early
    7         voting hours; providing a minimum and a maximum daily
    8         duration for such early voting hours; providing an
    9         effective date.
   10  
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
   14  section 101.657, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   15         101.657 Early voting.—
   16         (1)(a) As a convenience to the voter, the supervisor of
   17  elections shall allow an elector to vote early in the main or
   18  branch office of the supervisor. The supervisor shall mark,
   19  code, indicate on, or otherwise track the voter’s precinct for
   20  each early voted ballot. In order for a branch office to be used
   21  for early voting, it shall be a permanent facility of the
   22  supervisor and shall have been designated and used as such for
   23  at least 1 year prior to the election. The supervisor may also
   24  designate any city hall; public university, college, or
   25  community college facility; or permanent public library facility
   26  as early voting sites; however, if so designated, the sites must
   27  be geographically located so as to provide all voters in the
   28  county an equal opportunity to cast a ballot, insofar as is
   29  practicable. The results or tabulation of votes cast during
   30  early voting may not be made before the close of the polls on
   31  election day. Results shall be reported by precinct.
   32         (d) Early voting shall begin on the 15th day before an
   33  election and end on the 2nd day before an election. For purposes
   34  of a special election held pursuant to s. 100.101, early voting
   35  shall begin on the 8th day before an election and end on the 2nd
   36  day before an election. Early voting hours shall be established
   37  by the supervisor of elections for each county. However, early
   38  voting shall be provided for a period of not less than 8 hours
   39  and not more than 12 hours per day per weekday and 8 hours in
   40  the aggregate each weekend at each site during the applicable
   41  periods. Early voting sites shall open no sooner than 7 a.m. and
   42  close no later than 7 p.m. on each applicable day.
   43         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.