Bill Text: FL S0848 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Early Voting

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [S0848 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-S0848-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2011                                     SB 848
       
       
       
       By Senator Rich
       
       
       
       
       34-00799A-11                                           2011848__
    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; providing requirements for
   10         determining the number of early voting sites each
   11         county must operate; expanding early voting hours to
   12         12 hours per weekday and 12 hours in the aggregate
   13         each weekend at each site during the applicable
   14         periods; providing an effective date.
   15  
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
   19  section 101.657, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   20         101.657 Early voting.—
   21         (1)(a) As a convenience to the voter, the supervisor of
   22  elections shall allow an elector to vote early in the main or
   23  branch office of the supervisor and may allow such early voting
   24  in any city hall, public library facility, courthouse, place of
   25  worship, civic center, convention center, community center,
   26  county government center, conference center, community college
   27  facility, university or college, fairgrounds, or any other
   28  location designated by the supervisor as meeting the
   29  requirements of this section. The supervisor shall mark, code,
   30  indicate on, or otherwise track the voter’s precinct for each
   31  early voted ballot. In order for a branch office to be used for
   32  early voting, it shall be a permanent facility of the supervisor
   33  and shall have been designated and used as such for at least 1
   34  year prior to the election. The supervisor may also designate
   35  any city hall or permanent public library facility as Early
   36  voting sites; however, if so designated, the sites must be
   37  geographically located so as to provide all voters in the county
   38  an equal opportunity to cast a ballot, insofar as is
   39  practicable. Each county shall operate the same total number of
   40  early voting sites that it used for the 2008 general election,
   41  or one early voting site plus one additional early voting site
   42  for every complete set of 65,000 registered voters in the county
   43  as of July 1 of each general election year, whichever is
   44  greater. The results or tabulation of votes cast during early
   45  voting may not be made before the close of the polls on election
   46  day. Results shall be reported by precinct.
   47         (d) Early voting shall begin on the 15th day before an
   48  election and end on the 2nd day before an election. For purposes
   49  of a special election held pursuant to s. 100.101, early voting
   50  shall begin on the 8th day before an election and end on the 2nd
   51  day before an election. Early voting shall be provided for 12 8
   52  hours per weekday and 12 8 hours in the aggregate each weekend
   53  at each site during the applicable periods. Early voting sites
   54  shall open no sooner than 7 a.m. and close no later than 7 p.m.
   55  on each applicable day.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.