Florida Senate - 2015 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 228
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LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
03/17/2015 .
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The Committee on Ethics and Elections (Clemens) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 97.0525, Florida Statutes, is created to
6 read:
7 97.0525 Online voter registration.—
8 (1) Beginning October 1, 2017, an applicant may submit an
9 online voter registration application using the procedures set
10 forth in this section.
11 (2) The division shall establish a secure Internet website
12 to permit an applicant to:
13 (a) Submit a voter registration application, including
14 first-time voter registration applications and updates to
15 existing voter registration records.
16 (b) Submit information necessary to establish an
17 applicant’s eligibility to vote, pursuant to s. 97.041, which
18 must include the information required for the uniform statewide
19 voter registration application pursuant to s. 97.052(2).
20 (c) Swear to the oath required pursuant to s. 97.051.
21 (3) The division shall establish appropriate technological
22 security measures, including use of a unique identifier for each
23 applicant, to prevent unauthorized persons from altering a
24 voter’s registration information.
25 (4)(a) The online voter registration system shall compare
26 the Florida driver license number or Florida identification
27 number submitted pursuant to s. 97.052(2)(n) with information
28 maintained by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
29 Vehicles to confirm that the name and date of birth on the
30 application are consistent with the records of the Department of
31 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
32 (b) If the applicant’s name and date of birth are
33 consistent with the records of the Department of Highway Safety
34 and Motor Vehicles, the online voter registration system shall
35 transmit, using the statewide voter registration system
36 maintained pursuant to s. 98.035, the applicant’s registration
37 application, along with the digital signature of the applicant
38 on file with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
39 Vehicles, to the supervisor of elections. The applicant’s
40 digital signature satisfies the signature requirement of s.
41 97.052(2)(q).
42 (c) If the applicant’s name and date of birth cannot be
43 verified by the records of the Department of Highway Safety and
44 Motor Vehicles, or if the applicant indicated that he or she has
45 not been issued a Florida driver license or Florida
46 identification card, the online voter registration system shall
47 populate the applicant’s information into a printable voter
48 registration application pursuant to s. 97.052(2) and direct the
49 applicant to print, sign, and date the application and deliver
50 the application to the supervisor of elections for disposition
51 pursuant to s. 97.073.
52 (5) Upon submission of a completed online voter
53 registration application, the website must generate an immediate
54 electronic confirmation that the supervisor of elections has
55 received the application and provide instructions regarding the
56 ability of a registrant to check the status of the application
57 thereafter.
58 (6) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the
59 supervisor of elections shall process the application pursuant
60 to s. 97.053.
61 (7) The online voter registration system must conform to
62 nationally accepted standards for accessibility for individuals
63 with disabilities, including s. 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of
64 1973, s. 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the Web
65 Content Accessibility Guidelines of the World Wide Web
66 Consortium, to ensure equal access for voters with disabilities.
67 (8) A legal distinction may not be made between online
68 voter registration under this section and voter registration in
69 person, by mail, or by other methods provided by general law.
70 Section 2. No later than January 1, 2016, the Division of
71 Elections shall submit a report to the President of the Senate
72 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives regarding the
73 implementation of online voter registration. In the report, the
74 division shall summarize progress to date in implementing online
75 voter registration and expected implementation timeframes, and
76 shall propose any further legislation needed to facilitate
77 online voter registration.
78 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
79
80 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
81 And the title is amended as follows:
82 Delete everything before the enacting clause
83 and insert:
84 A bill to be entitled
85 An act relating to online voter registration; creating
86 s. 97.0525, F.S.; requiring the Division of Elections
87 of the Department of State to develop an online voter
88 registration system; providing application and
89 security requirements; requiring the system to compare
90 information submitted online with Department of
91 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records; providing
92 for the disposition of voter registration
93 applications; requiring system compliance with federal
94 accessibility provisions; providing for construction;
95 requiring the division to report to the Legislature
96 regarding online voter registration implementation by
97 a specified date; providing an effective date.