| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to Broward County; amending chapter 75- |
| 3 | 350, Laws of Florida, as amended; revising provisions |
| 4 | relating to the governing of municipal elections in the |
| 5 | county; revising the dates on which municipal candidates |
| 6 | must file qualification papers and pay certain fees with |
| 7 | respect to certain elections; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Chapter 75-350, Laws of Florida, as amended by |
| 12 | chapters 76-336, 77-507, 81-349, 2004-443, and 2005-318, Laws of |
| 13 | Florida, is amended to read: |
| 14 | Section 1. It is the intent of this act to provide for |
| 15 | uniform filing and election dates for all municipal elections in |
| 16 | Broward County. It is not the intent of this act to determine |
| 17 | the length of terms of municipal offices. |
| 18 | Section 2. For any municipal elections held in Broward |
| 19 | County in March of a calendar year, candidates for office in |
| 20 | such elections shall file such papers and pay such fees as may |
| 21 | be required by law with the applicable municipal clerk no |
| 22 | earlier than noon on the first work day in January nor later |
| 23 | than noon on the 7th day following the first work day in January |
| 24 | of the calendar year in which the election is to be held. For |
| 25 | any municipal elections held in Broward County in November of a |
| 26 | calendar year, candidates for office in such elections shall |
| 27 | file such papers and pay such fees as may be required by law |
| 28 | with the applicable municipal clerk pursuant to the same |
| 29 | timeframes as candidates who qualify for county offices as |
| 30 | provided in section 99.061(2), Florida Statutes, as may be |
| 31 | amended from time to time no earlier than noon on the first work |
| 32 | day in September nor later than noon on the 7th day following |
| 33 | the first work day in September of the calendar year in which |
| 34 | the election is to be held. |
| 35 | Section 3. Any primary election relating to a municipal |
| 36 | office held in a municipality in Broward County shall be held on |
| 37 | the second Tuesday in February of a calendar year, and all |
| 38 | general elections relating to a municipal office held in a |
| 39 | municipality in Broward County shall be held on the second |
| 40 | Tuesday in March of a calendar year or the first Tuesday after |
| 41 | the first Monday in November of any even-numbered calendar year. |
| 42 | Municipalities that have general elections in November of even- |
| 43 | numbered calendar years shall not have primaries for such |
| 44 | elections. |
| 45 | Section 4. In any primary election held in any race for |
| 46 | municipal offices in Broward County, the manner and method by |
| 47 | which a slate of candidates is to be determined shall be as |
| 48 | provided by the Charter or Code of Ordinances of the |
| 49 | municipality conducting the primary election as provided herein. |
| 50 | In any general election in races for municipal offices in |
| 51 | Broward County, the candidate or candidates, depending upon the |
| 52 | number to be elected, receiving the highest number of votes in |
| 53 | the election shall be the winners winner. Such duly elected |
| 54 | municipal officers shall take office within 14 fourteen (14) |
| 55 | days after the general election, with the specific day to be |
| 56 | decided by local ordinance. |
| 57 | Section 5. In order to implement any change in the month |
| 58 | in which elections will be held, Broward County municipalities |
| 59 | may either extend or reduce terms of office of existing elected |
| 60 | officials for a period of up to 8 eight (8) months. |
| 61 | Section 6. The governing body of each municipality in |
| 62 | Broward County may, at its discretion, amend its Charter to |
| 63 | change the date of its municipal elections in accordance with |
| 64 | this act by ordinance, subject to approval by referendum; |
| 65 | provided, however, that any change in election date will not be |
| 66 | effective until at least 18 eighteen (18) months after the |
| 67 | approval of the ordinance by the municipality's governing body. |
| 68 | Section 7. All municipal elections shall be canvassed by |
| 69 | the county canvassing board with said board certifying the |
| 70 | results to each city clerk within 5 five (5) days after the |
| 71 | election. |
| 72 | Section 8. The Broward Supervisor of Elections shall |
| 73 | provide to each Broward County municipality by the first work |
| 74 | day in April of the calendar year a schedule of fees and charges |
| 75 | for municipal election services for the following calendar year. |
| 76 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |