Florida Senate - 2013 SB 234
By Senator Clemens
27-00249-13 2013234__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to voter registration; amending s.
3 97.057, F.S.; authorizing the Department of Highway
4 Safety and Motor Vehicles to automatically register to
5 vote or update a voter registration record of an
6 eligible individual; requiring the department to
7 notify the individual that certain information
8 gathered for the completion of a driver license or
9 identification card application, renewal, or change of
10 address is automatically transferred to a voter
11 registration application or used to update a voter
12 registration record; requiring a driver license
13 examiner to notify an applicant that, by applying for,
14 renewing, or updating a driver license or
15 identification card, the applicant is consenting to
16 automatically register to vote or update his or her
17 voter registration record; authorizing an applicant to
18 revoke consent to automatically register to vote or
19 update a voter registration record; requiring that an
20 applicant who fails to designate party affiliation be
21 registered without party affiliation; providing an
22 effective date.
23
24 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
25
26 Section 1. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 97.057,
27 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
28 97.057 Voter registration by the Department of Highway
29 Safety and Motor Vehicles.—
30 (1) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
31 shall automatically provide the opportunity to register to vote
32 or to update a voter registration record of to each individual
33 who comes to an office of that department to:
34 (a) Apply for or renew a driver driver’s license;
35 (b) Apply for or renew an identification card pursuant to
36 chapter 322; or
37 (c) Change an address on an existing driver driver’s
38 license or identification card.
39 (2) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
40 shall:
41 (a) Notify each individual, orally or in writing, that:
42 1. Information gathered for the completion of a driver
43 driver’s license or identification card application, renewal, or
44 change of address will can be automatically transferred to a
45 voter registration application;
46 2. If additional information and a signature are provided,
47 the voter registration application will be completed and sent to
48 the proper election authority;
49 3. Information provided will can also be used to update a
50 voter registration record;
51 4. All declinations will remain confidential and may be
52 used only for voter registration purposes; and
53 5. The particular driver license office in which the person
54 applies to register to vote or updates a voter registration
55 record will remain confidential and may be used only for voter
56 registration purposes.
57 (b) Require a driver driver’s license examiner to notify
58 inquire orally or, if the applicant is hearing impaired, notify
59 inquire in writing that by applying for or renewing a driver
60 license, by applying for or renewing an identification card
61 pursuant to chapter 322, or by changing an address on an
62 existing driver license or identification card, the qualified
63 applicant is consenting to register to vote or to update his or
64 her voter registration record. However, the applicant may revoke
65 consent by notifying the driver license examiner, orally or in
66 writing, that he or she chooses not to automatically register to
67 vote or update his or her voter registration record. whether the
68 applicant wishes to register to vote or update a voter
69 registration record during the completion of a driver’s license
70 or identification card application, renewal, or change of
71 address.
72 1. If the applicant does not revoke consent to
73 automatically chooses to register to vote or to update his or
74 her a voter registration record:
75 a. All applicable information received by the Department of
76 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in the course of filling out
77 the forms necessary under subsection (1) must be transferred to
78 a voter registration application.
79 b. The additional necessary information must be obtained by
80 the driver’s license examiner and must not duplicate any
81 information already obtained while completing the forms required
82 under subsection (1).
83 c. A voter registration application with all of the
84 applicant’s voter registration information required to establish
85 the applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041 must be
86 presented to the applicant to review and verify the voter
87 registration information received and provide an electronic
88 signature affirming the accuracy of the information provided.
89 d. A qualified applicant who is automatically registered to
90 vote under this section and who fails to designate party
91 affiliation must be registered without party affiliation
92 pursuant to s. 97.053(5)(b).
93 2. If the applicant revokes consent to automatically
94 declines to register to vote or, update his or her the
95 applicant’s voter registration record, or change the applicant’s
96 address by either orally declining orally or in writing or by
97 failing to sign the voter registration application, the
98 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must note such
99 declination on its records and shall forward the declination to
100 the statewide voter registration system.
101 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.