| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to overseas voting; amending s. |
| 3 | 101.697, F.S.; requiring that the Department of State |
| 4 | adopt rules to authorize a supervisor of elections to |
| 5 | accept from an overseas voter a request for an |
| 6 | absentee ballot or a voted absentee ballot by secure |
| 7 | electronic mail; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Section 101.697, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 12 | to read: |
| 13 | 101.697 Electronic transmission of election materials.-The |
| 14 | Department of State shall determine whether secure electronic |
| 15 | means can be established for receiving ballots from overseas |
| 16 | voters. If such security can be established, the department |
| 17 | shall adopt rules to authorize a supervisor of elections to |
| 18 | accept from an overseas voter a request for an absentee ballot |
| 19 | or a voted absentee ballot by secure facsimile machine |
| 20 | transmission, secure electronic mail, or other secure electronic |
| 21 | means. The rules must provide that in order to accept a voted |
| 22 | ballot, the verification of the voter must be established, the |
| 23 | security of the transmission must be established, and each |
| 24 | ballot received must be recorded. |
| 25 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |