Florida Senate - 2021                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS/CS/CS/SB 90, 1st Eng.
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì532018ÆÎ532018                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
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                 Floor: WD/RM          .                                
             04/29/2021 04:13 PM       .                                
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       Senator Jones moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment to House Amendment (107453) (with
    2  directory and title amendments)
    3  
    4         Between lines 777 and 778
    5  insert:
    6         (5) The secrecy envelope must include, in bold font,
    7  substantially the following message:
    8  
    9  IN ORDER FOR YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT TO COUNT, YOUR BALLOT MUST
   10  BE POSTMARKED OR DATED NO LATER THAN THE DATE OF THE ELECTION
   11  AND YOUR SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS MUST RECEIVE YOUR BALLOT NO
   12  LATER THAN 10 DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION BY 7 P.M. ON ELECTION DAY.
   13  IF YOU WAIT TO MAIL YOUR BALLOT, YOUR VOTE MIGHT NOT COUNT. TO
   14  PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING, PLEASE MAIL OR TURN IN YOUR BALLOT
   15  AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
   16         Section 22. Section 101.65, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   17  read:
   18         101.65 Instructions to absent electors.—The supervisor
   19  shall enclose with each vote-by-mail ballot separate printed
   20  instructions in substantially the following form; however, where
   21  the instructions appear in capitalized text, the text of the
   22  printed instructions must be in bold font:
   23  
   24                  READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY                
   25                       BEFORE MARKING BALLOT.                      
   26  
   27         1. VERY IMPORTANT. In order to ensure that your vote-by
   28  mail ballot will be counted, it should be completed and returned
   29  as soon as possible so that it can be postmarked or dated no
   30  later than the day of the election, if mailed, and reach the
   31  supervisor of elections of the county in which your precinct is
   32  located no later than 10 days after 7 p.m. on the date day of
   33  the election. However, if you are an overseas voter casting a
   34  ballot in a presidential preference primary or general election,
   35  your vote-by-mail ballot must be postmarked or dated no later
   36  than the date of the election and received by the supervisor of
   37  elections of the county in which you are registered to vote no
   38  later than 10 days after the date of the election. Note that the
   39  later you return your ballot, the less time you will have to
   40  cure any signature deficiencies, which is authorized until 5
   41  p.m. on the 2nd day after the election.
   42         2. Mark your ballot in secret as instructed on the ballot.
   43  You must mark your own ballot unless you are unable to do so
   44  because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.
   45         3. Mark only the number of candidates or issue choices for
   46  a race as indicated on the ballot. If you are allowed to “Vote
   47  for One” candidate and you vote for more than one candidate,
   48  your vote in that race will not be counted.
   49         4. Place your marked ballot in the enclosed secrecy
   50  envelope.
   51         5. Insert the secrecy envelope into the enclosed mailing
   52  envelope which is addressed to the supervisor.
   53         6. Seal the mailing envelope and completely fill out the
   54  Voter’s Certificate on the back of the mailing envelope.
   55         7. VERY IMPORTANT. In order for your vote-by-mail ballot to
   56  be counted, you must sign your name on the line above (Voter’s
   57  Signature). A vote-by-mail ballot will be considered illegal and
   58  not be counted if the signature on the voter’s certificate does
   59  not match the signature on record. The signature on file at the
   60  time the supervisor of elections in the county in which your
   61  precinct is located receives your vote-by-mail ballot is the
   62  signature that will be used to verify your signature on the
   63  voter’s certificate. If you need to update your signature for
   64  this election, send your signature update on a voter
   65  registration application to your supervisor of elections so that
   66  it is received before your vote-by-mail ballot is received.
   67         8. VERY IMPORTANT. If you are an overseas voter, you must
   68  include the date you signed the Voter’s Certificate on the line
   69  above (Date) or your ballot may not be counted.
   70         9. Mail, deliver, or have delivered the completed mailing
   71  envelope. Be sure there is sufficient postage if mailed. THE
   72  COMPLETED MAILING ENVELOPE CAN BE DELIVERED TO THE OFFICE OF THE
   73  SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OF THE COUNTY IN WHICH YOUR PRECINCT IS
   74  LOCATED OR DROPPED OFF AT AN AUTHORIZED SECURE DROP BOX,
   75  AVAILABLE AT EACH EARLY VOTING LOCATION.
   76         10. FELONY NOTICE. It is a felony under Florida law to
   77  accept any gift, payment, or gratuity in exchange for your vote
   78  for a candidate. It is also a felony under Florida law to vote
   79  in an election using a false identity or false address, or under
   80  any other circumstances making your ballot false or fraudulent.
   81         Section 23. Subsection (2) of section 101.67, Florida
   82  Statutes, is amended to read:
   83         101.67 Safekeeping of mailed ballots; deadline for
   84  receiving vote-by-mail ballots.—
   85         (2) Except as provided in s. 101.6952(5), All marked absent
   86  electors’ ballots to be counted must be postmarked or dated no
   87  later than the day of the election and received by the
   88  supervisor by 10 days after 7 p.m. the date day of the election.
   89  All ballots received thereafter shall be marked with the time
   90  and date of receipt and filed in the supervisor’s office.
   91  
   92  ====== D I R E C T O R Y  C L A U S E  A M E N D M E N T ======
   93  And the directory clause is amended as follows:
   94         Delete lines 747 - 748
   95  and insert:
   96         Section 21. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 101.64,
   97  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   98  
   99  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  100  And the title is amended as follows:
  101         Between lines 1268 and 1269
  102  insert:
  103         revising the form of the secrecy envelope of a vote
  104         by-mail ballot; amending s. 101.65, F.S.; revising
  105         instructions to absent electors to conform to changes
  106         made by the act; amending s. 101.67, F.S.; revising
  107         the deadline by which the supervisor must receive a
  108         vote-by-mail ballot;