Florida Senate - 2010                                     SB 828
       
       
       
       By Senator Rich
       
       
       
       
       34-00649C-10                                           2010828__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to early voting; amending s. 101.657,
    3         F.S.; expanding the list of available sites at which
    4         early voting may be held to include specified
    5         facilities or any other location designated by a
    6         supervisor of elections as meeting the requirements of
    7         state law; deleting a requirement that an early voting
    8         site be designated and used as such for at least 1
    9         year before an election; providing requirements for
   10         determining the number of early voting sites each
   11         county must operate; expanding early voting hours to
   12         12 hours per weekday and at least 12 hours in the
   13         aggregate each weekend at each site during the
   14         applicable periods; providing an effective date.
   15  
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
   19  section 101.657, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   20         101.657 Early voting.—
   21         (1)(a) As a convenience to the voter, the supervisor of
   22  elections shall allow an elector to vote early in the main or
   23  branch office of the supervisor, any city hall, public library
   24  facility, courthouse, place of worship, civic center, convention
   25  center, community center, county government center, conference
   26  center, community college facility, university or college,
   27  fairgrounds, or any other location designated by the supervisor
   28  as meeting the requirements of this section. The supervisor
   29  shall mark, code, indicate on, or otherwise track the voter’s
   30  precinct for each early voted ballot. In order for a branch
   31  office to be used for early voting, it shall be a permanent
   32  facility of the supervisor and shall have been designated and
   33  used as such for at least 1 year prior to the election. The
   34  supervisor may also designate any city hall or permanent public
   35  library facility as Early voting sites; however, if so
   36  designated, the sites must be geographically located so as to
   37  provide all voters in the county an equal opportunity to cast a
   38  ballot, insofar as is practicable. Each county shall operate the
   39  same total number of early voting sites that it used for the
   40  2008 general election, or one early voting site plus one
   41  additional early voting site for every complete set of 65,000
   42  registered voters in the county as of July 1 of each general
   43  election year, whichever is greater. The results or tabulation
   44  of votes cast during early voting may not be made before the
   45  close of the polls on election day. Results shall be reported by
   46  precinct.
   47         (d) Early voting shall begin on the 15th day before an
   48  election and end on the 2nd day before an election. For purposes
   49  of a special election held pursuant to s. 100.101, early voting
   50  shall begin on the 8th day before an election and end on the 2nd
   51  day before an election. Early voting shall be provided for 12 8
   52  hours per weekday and at least 12 8 hours in the aggregate each
   53  weekend at each site during the applicable periods. Early voting
   54  sites shall open no sooner than 7 a.m. and close no later than 7
   55  p.m. on each applicable day.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.