Florida Senate - 2016 CS for SB 744
By the Committee on Ethics and Elections; and Senator Bean
582-02341-16 2016744c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to addresses of legal residence;
3 amending s. 97.021, F.S.; defining the term “address
4 of legal residence”; amending s. 97.053, F.S.;
5 requiring a complete voter registration application to
6 include the applicant’s address of legal residence;
7 specifying that an applicant’s failure to include
8 additional distinguishing information on an
9 application does not affect his or her qualifications
10 to register or vote; amending s. 97.057, F.S.;
11 conforming a provision; amending s. 98.015, F.S.;
12 providing that a list of valid addresses maintained by
13 a supervisor of elections include certain additional
14 distinguishing information; providing an effective
15 date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Present subsections (3) through (44) of section
20 97.021, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (4)
21 through (45), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to
22 that section, to read:
23 97.021 Definitions.—For the purposes of this code, except
24 where the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term:
25 (3) “Address of legal residence” means the legal
26 residential address of the elector and includes all information
27 necessary to differentiate one residence from another,
28 including, but not limited to, a distinguishing apartment,
29 suite, lot, room, or dormitory room number or other identifier.
30 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
31 97.053, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
32 97.053 Acceptance of voter registration applications.—
33 (5)(a) A voter registration application is complete if it
34 contains the following information necessary to establish the
35 applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041, including:
36 1. The applicant’s name.
37 2. The applicant’s address of legal residence address.
38 Failure to include a distinguishing apartment, suite, lot, room,
39 or dormitory room number or other identifier on a voter
40 registration application does not impact a voter’s eligibility
41 to register to vote or cast a ballot, and such an omission may
42 not serve as the basis for a challenge to a voter’s eligibility
43 or as a reason to not count a ballot.
44 3. The applicant’s date of birth.
45 4. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant is a
46 citizen of the United States.
47 5.a. The applicant’s current and valid Florida driver
48 license number or the identification number from a Florida
49 identification card issued under s. 322.051, or
50 b. If the applicant has not been issued a current and valid
51 Florida driver license or a Florida identification card, the
52 last four digits of the applicant’s social security number.
53
54 In case an applicant has not been issued a current and valid
55 Florida driver license, Florida identification card, or social
56 security number, the applicant shall affirm this fact in the
57 manner prescribed in the uniform statewide voter registration
58 application.
59 6. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant has
60 not been convicted of a felony or that, if convicted, has had
61 his or her civil rights restored.
62 7. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant has
63 not been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to
64 voting or that, if so adjudicated, has had his or her right to
65 vote restored.
66 8. The original signature or a digital signature
67 transmitted by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
68 Vehicles of the applicant swearing or affirming under the
69 penalty for false swearing pursuant to s. 104.011 that the
70 information contained in the registration application is true
71 and subscribing to the oath required by s. 3, Art. VI of the
72 State Constitution and s. 97.051.
73 Section 3. Subsection (10) of section 97.057, Florida
74 Statutes, is amended to read:
75 97.057 Voter registration by the Department of Highway
76 Safety and Motor Vehicles.—
77 (10) The department shall provide the Department of Highway
78 Safety and Motor Vehicles with an electronic database of street
79 addresses valid for use as an address of the legal residence
80 address as required in s. 97.053(5). The Department of Highway
81 Safety and Motor Vehicles shall compare the address provided by
82 the applicant against the database of valid street addresses. If
83 the address provided by the applicant does not match a valid
84 street address in the database, the applicant will be asked to
85 verify the address provided. The Department of Highway Safety
86 and Motor Vehicles may shall not reject any application for
87 voter registration for which a valid match cannot be made.
88 Section 4. Subsection (12) of section 98.015, Florida
89 Statutes, is amended to read:
90 98.015 Supervisor of elections; election, tenure of office,
91 compensation, custody of registration-related documents, office
92 hours, successor, seal; appointment of deputy supervisors;
93 duties.—
94 (12) Each supervisor shall maintain a list of valid
95 residential street addresses for purposes of verifying the legal
96 addresses of voters residing in the supervisor’s county. To the
97 maximum extent practicable, the list must include information
98 necessary to differentiate one residence from another,
99 including, but not limited to, a distinguishing apartment,
100 suite, lot, room, or dormitory room number or other identifier.
101 The supervisor shall make all reasonable efforts to coordinate
102 with county 911 service providers, property appraisers, the
103 United States Postal Service, or other agencies as necessary to
104 ensure the continued accuracy of such list. The supervisor shall
105 provide the list of valid residential addresses to the statewide
106 voter registration system in the manner and frequency specified
107 by rule of the department.
108 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.