Florida Senate - 2009                                     SB 472
       
       
       
       By Senator Aronberg
       
       
       
       
       27-00104C-09                                           2009472__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to early voting; amending s. 101.657,
    3         F.S.; authorizing the supervisor of elections to
    4         designate any public community college facility as an
    5         early voting site; requiring that the supervisor for
    6         each county establish early voting hours; providing a
    7         minimum and a maximum daily duration for such early
    8         voting hours; providing an effective date.
    9         
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11         
   12         Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
   13  section 101.657, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   14         101.657 Early voting.—
   15         (1)(a) As a convenience to the voter, the supervisor of
   16  elections shall allow an elector to vote early in the main or
   17  branch office of the supervisor. The supervisor shall mark,
   18  code, indicate on, or otherwise track the voter's precinct for
   19  each early voted ballot. In order for a branch office to be used
   20  for early voting, it shall be a permanent facility of the
   21  supervisor and shall have been designated and used as such for
   22  at least 1 year prior to the election. The supervisor may also
   23  designate any city hall, public community college facility, or
   24  permanent public library facility as early voting sites;
   25  however, if so designated, the sites must be geographically
   26  located so as to provide all voters in the county an equal
   27  opportunity to cast a ballot, insofar as is practicable. The
   28  results or tabulation of votes cast during early voting may not
   29  be made before the close of the polls on election day. Results
   30  shall be reported by precinct.
   31         (d) Early voting shall begin on the 15th day before an
   32  election and end on the 2nd day before an election. For purposes
   33  of a special election held pursuant to s. 100.101, early voting
   34  shall begin on the 8th day before an election and end on the 2nd
   35  day before an election. Early voting hours shall be established
   36  by the supervisor of elections for each county. However, early
   37  voting shall be provided for a period of no less than 8 hours
   38  and no more than 12 hours per day per weekday and 8 hours in the
   39  aggregate each weekend at each site during the applicable
   40  periods. Early voting sites shall open no sooner than 7 a.m. and
   41  close no later than 7 p.m. on each applicable day.
   42         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.