Florida Senate - 2014 SB 150
By Senator Clemens
27-00247-14 2014150__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to voter registration; amending s.
3 97.057, F.S.; requiring 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 an applicant that certain information that he
8 or she provides on a driver license or identification
9 card initial or renewal application or change of
10 address request is automatically transferred to a
11 voter registration application or used to update his
12 or her existing voter registration record; requiring a
13 driver license examiner to notify an applicant that,
14 by applying for, renewing, or updating a driver
15 license or identification card, the applicant is
16 consenting to automatic voter registration or to the
17 automatic updating of his or her voter registration
18 record; authorizing an applicant to revoke consent to
19 automatic voter registration or updating of an
20 existing voter registration record; providing that an
21 applicant who fails to designate party affiliation
22 must be registered without party affiliation;
23 providing an effective date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 97.057,
28 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
29 97.057 Voter registration by the Department of Highway
30 Safety and Motor Vehicles.—
31 (1) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
32 shall automatically provide the opportunity to register to vote
33 or to update the a voter registration record of to each
34 individual who comes to an office of that department to:
35 (a) Apply for or renew a driver driver’s license;
36 (b) Apply for or renew an identification card pursuant to
37 chapter 322; or
38 (c) Change an address on an existing driver driver’s
39 license or identification card.
40 (2) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
41 shall:
42 (a) Notify each individual, orally or in writing, that:
43 1. Information gathered for the completion of a driver
44 driver’s license or identification card application, renewal, or
45 change of address is can be automatically transferred to a voter
46 registration application;
47 2. If additional information and a signature are provided,
48 the voter registration application shall will be completed and
49 sent to the proper election authority;
50 3. Information provided may can also be used to update a
51 voter registration record;
52 4. All declinations will remain confidential and may be
53 used only for voter registration purposes; and
54 5. The particular driver license office in which the person
55 applies to register to vote or updates a voter registration
56 record remains will remain confidential and may be used only for
57 voter registration purposes.
58 (b) Require a driver driver’s license examiner to notify
59 inquire orally or, if the applicant is hearing impaired, to
60 notify inquire in writing that by applying for or renewing a
61 driver license, applying for or renewing an identification card
62 pursuant to chapter 322, or requesting a change of address on an
63 existing driver license or identification card, the qualified
64 applicant is consenting to register to vote or to update his or
65 her voter registration record. However, the applicant may revoke
66 consent by notifying the driver license examiner, orally or in
67 writing, that he or she chooses not to automatically register to
68 vote or update his or her voter registration record whether the
69 applicant wishes to register to vote or update a voter
70 registration record during the completion of a driver’s license
71 or identification card application, renewal, or change of
72 address.
73 1. If the applicant does not revoke consent to
74 automatically chooses to register to vote or to update his or
75 her a voter registration record:
76 a. All applicable information received by the Department of
77 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in the course of filling out
78 the forms necessary under subsection (1) shall must be
79 transferred to a voter registration application.
80 b. The additional necessary information shall must be
81 obtained by the driver driver’s license examiner and may must
82 not duplicate any information already obtained while completing
83 the forms required under subsection (1).
84 c. A voter registration application with all of the
85 applicant’s voter registration information required to establish
86 the applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041 shall must be
87 presented to the applicant to review and verify the voter
88 registration information received and provide an electronic
89 signature affirming the accuracy of the information provided.
90 d. A qualified applicant who is automatically registered to
91 vote under this section and who fails to designate party
92 affiliation shall be registered without party affiliation
93 pursuant to s. 97.053(5)(b).
94 2. If the applicant revokes consent to automatically
95 declines to register to vote or, update his or her the
96 applicant’s voter registration record, or change the applicant’s
97 address by either orally declining orally or in writing or by
98 failing to sign the voter registration application, the
99 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall must note
100 such declination on its records and shall forward the
101 declination to the statewide voter registration system.
102 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.