Florida Senate - 2009                              CS for SB 240
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Ethics and Elections; and Senator Bennett
       
       
       
       
       582-02698-09                                           2009240c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to specifications for ballots;
    3         amending s. 101.151, F.S.; requiring that each ballot
    4         include a selection allowing the voter to indicate
    5         that he or she chooses not to vote for any candidate;
    6         specifying the effect of such a selection; providing
    7         an effective date.
    8  
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Present subsection (8) of section 101.151,
   12  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (9), and a new
   13  subsection (8) is added to that section, to read:
   14         101.151 Specifications for ballots.—
   15         (8) For each office on the ballot, in addition to the names
   16  of candidates or a blank space for a write-in candidate, the
   17  ballot must include a selection stating “I choose not to vote.”
   18  For purposes of certifying the candidate who won an election or
   19  ordering a recount, a vote for the “I choose not to vote”
   20  selection in the particular race under consideration shall be
   21  treated as if the voter did not designate any selection in the
   22  race.
   23         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.