Senate Bill sb2566

    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 2566

    By Senator Dockery





    15-1766-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to absentee ballots; amending

  3         s. 101.64, F.S.; removing the requirement that

  4         a voter's signature on an absentee ballot must

  5         be witnessed; providing an effective date.

  6  

  7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  8  

  9         Section 1.  Section 101.64, Florida Statutes, is

10  amended to read:

11         101.64  Delivery of absentee ballots; envelopes;

12  form.--

13         (1)  The supervisor shall enclose with each absentee

14  ballot two envelopes:  a secrecy envelope, into which the

15  absent elector shall enclose his or her marked ballot; and a

16  mailing envelope, into which the absent elector shall then

17  place the secrecy envelope, which shall be addressed to the

18  supervisor and also bear on the back side a certificate in

19  substantially the following form:

20  

21         Note:  Please Read Instructions Carefully Before

22        Marking Ballot and Completing Voter's Certificate.

23  

24                       VOTER'S CERTIFICATE

25         I, ...., do solemnly swear or affirm that I am a

26  qualified and registered voter of .... County, Florida, and

27  that I have not and will not vote more than one ballot in this

28  election. I understand that if I commit or attempt to commit

29  any fraud in connection with voting, vote a fraudulent ballot,

30  or vote more than once in an election, I can be convicted of a

31  felony of the third degree and fined up to $5,000 and/or

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 2566
    15-1766-04




 1  imprisoned for up to 5 years.  I also understand that failure

 2  to sign this certificate and have my signature properly

 3  witnessed will invalidate my ballot.

 4  

 5  ...(Date)...                         ...(Voter's Signature)...

 6  

 7  Note: Your Signature Must Be Witnessed By One Witness 18 Years

 8  of Age or Older as provided in the Instruction Sheet.

 9  

10  I swear or affirm that the voter signed this Voter's

11  Certificate in my presence.

12  

13  ...(Signature of Witness)...

14  

15  ...(Address)...

16                                              ...(City/State)...

17  

18         (2)  The certificate shall be arranged on the back of

19  the mailing envelope so that the lines for the signature

20  signatures of the absent elector is and the attesting witness

21  are across the seal of the envelope; however, no statement

22  shall appear on the envelope which indicates that a signature

23  of the voter or witness must cross the seal of the envelope.

24  The absent elector and the attesting witness shall execute the

25  certificate on the envelope.

26         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.

27  

28            *****************************************

29                          SENATE SUMMARY

30    Removes the requirement that a person 18 years of age or
      older witness a voter's signature on an absentee ballot.
31  

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.