Florida Senate - 2019                                      SB 56
       
       
        
       By Senator Thurston
       
       
       
       
       
       33-00050-19                                             201956__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the presidential preference
    3         primary; amending s. 97.041, F.S.; authorizing certain
    4         preregistered voter registration applicants to vote in
    5         the presidential preference primary; prohibiting such
    6         persons from voting in any other race or on any
    7         amendment or ballot measure; providing that such
    8         persons are not considered electors for purposes of
    9         the Florida Election Code; amending s. 98.461, F.S.;
   10         requiring the supervisor of elections to generate a
   11         separate precinct register containing the names of
   12         preregistered voter registration applicants eligible
   13         to vote in the presidential preference primary;
   14         providing an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 97.041, Florida
   19  Statutes, is amended to read:
   20         97.041 Qualifications to register or vote.—
   21         (1)(a) A person may become a registered voter only if that
   22  person:
   23         1. Is at least 18 years of age;
   24         2. Is a citizen of the United States;
   25         3. Is a legal resident of the State of Florida;
   26         4. Is a legal resident of the county in which that person
   27  seeks to be registered; and
   28         5. Registers pursuant to the Florida Election Code.
   29         (b)1. A person who is otherwise qualified may preregister
   30  on or after that person’s 16th birthday and may vote in any
   31  election occurring on or after that person’s 18th birthday.
   32         2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
   33  contrary, a person who has preregistered to vote pursuant to
   34  subparagraph 1. and who will be 18 years of age on or before the
   35  day of the next presidential general election may vote in the
   36  presidential preference primary for purposes of selecting a
   37  candidate for nomination for President of the United States or
   38  selecting delegates to a political party’s national nominating
   39  convention. However, such person may not vote in any other race
   40  or on any amendment or ballot measure that is scheduled to
   41  appear on the ballot in an election held concurrently with the
   42  presidential preference primary. Other than voting in a
   43  presidential preference primary in accordance with this
   44  subparagraph, the person is otherwise not considered an elector
   45  for purposes of this code until his or her 18th birthday.
   46         Section 2. Subsection (3) is added to section 98.461,
   47  Florida Statutes, to read:
   48         98.461 Registration application, precinct register;
   49  contents.—
   50         (3) For a presidential preference primary conducted
   51  pursuant to s. 103.101, the supervisor of elections must
   52  generate a separate precinct register containing the names of
   53  persons who have preregistered to vote pursuant to s.
   54  97.041(1)(b) and who will be 18 years of age on or before the
   55  day of the next presidential general election. The precinct
   56  register must contain the same information concerning electors
   57  required by subsection (2).
   58         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.