Bill Text: FL S0516 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Early Voting

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Rules Subcommittee on Ethics and Elections [S0516 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-S0516-Introduced.html

---

       Florida Senate - 2012                                     SB 516
       
       
       
       By Senator Rich
       
       
       
       
       34-00472A-12                                           2012516__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to early voting; amending s. 101.657,
    3         F.S.; expanding the list of available sites at which
    4         early voting may be held to include specified
    5         facilities or any other location designated by a
    6         supervisor of elections as meeting the requirements of
    7         state law; deleting a requirement that an early voting
    8         site be designated and used as such for at least 1
    9         year before an election; requiring that each county
   10         operate a certain total number of voting sites;
   11         revising the beginning and ending dates of early
   12         voting; revising the hours of early voting to 12 hours
   13         per weekday and 12 hours in the aggregate each weekend
   14         at each site during the applicable periods; deleting
   15         provisions that authorize the supervisor of elections
   16         to provide early voting for certain elections and to
   17         determine the hours of operation of early voting sites
   18         in those elections; providing an effective date.
   19  
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
   23  section 101.657, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   24         101.657 Early voting.—
   25         (1)(a) As a convenience to the voter, the supervisor of
   26  elections shall allow an elector to vote early in the main or
   27  branch office of the supervisor and may allow such early voting
   28  in any city hall, public library facility, courthouse, place of
   29  worship, civic center, convention center, community center,
   30  county government center, conference center, community college
   31  facility, university or college, fairgrounds, or any other
   32  location designated by the supervisor as meeting the
   33  requirements of this section. The supervisor shall mark, code,
   34  indicate on, or otherwise track the voter’s precinct for each
   35  early voted ballot. In order for a branch office to be used for
   36  early voting, it shall be a permanent facility of the supervisor
   37  and shall have been designated and used as such for at least 1
   38  year prior to the election. The supervisor may also designate
   39  any city hall or permanent public library facility as Early
   40  voting sites; however, if so designated, the sites must be
   41  geographically located so as to provide all voters in the county
   42  an equal opportunity to cast a ballot, insofar as is
   43  practicable. Each county shall operate the same total number of
   44  early voting sites that it used for the 2008 general election,
   45  or one early voting site plus one additional early voting site
   46  for every complete set of 65,000 registered voters in the county
   47  as of July 1 of each general election year, whichever is
   48  greater. The results or tabulation of votes cast during early
   49  voting may not be made before the close of the polls on election
   50  day. Results shall be reported by precinct.
   51         (d) Early voting shall begin on the 15th 10th day before an
   52  election that contains state or federal races and end on the 2nd
   53  3rd day before the election. For purposes of a special election
   54  held pursuant to s. 100.101, early voting shall begin on the 8th
   55  day before the election and end on the 2nd day before the
   56  election. Early voting, and shall be provided for 12 no less
   57  than 6 hours per weekday and 12 hours in the aggregate each
   58  weekend no more than 12 hours per day at each site during the
   59  applicable periods. Early voting sites shall open no sooner than
   60  7 a.m. and close no later than 7 p.m. on each applicable day.
   61  period. The supervisor of elections may provide early voting for
   62  elections that are not held in conjunction with a state or
   63  federal election. However, the supervisor has the discretion to
   64  determine the hours of operation of early voting sites in those
   65  elections.
   66         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.