Florida Senate - 2014                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SPB 7068
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì147396PÎ147396                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                   Comm: WD            .                                
                  03/10/2014           .                                
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       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Between lines 272 and 273
    4  insert:
    5         Section 5. Subsection (1) of section 101.64, Florida
    6  Statutes, is amended to read:
    7         101.64 Delivery of absentee ballots; envelopes; form.—
    8         (1) The supervisor shall enclose with each absentee ballot
    9  two envelopes: a secrecy envelope, into which the absent elector
   10  shall enclose his or her marked ballot; and a mailing envelope,
   11  into which the absent elector shall then place the secrecy
   12  envelope, which shall be addressed to the supervisor with no
   13  return postage required and also bear on the back side a
   14  certificate in substantially the following form:
   15  
   16           Note: Please Read Instructions Carefully Before         
   17         Marking Ballot and Completing Voter’s Certificate.        
   18  
   19                         VOTER’S CERTIFICATE                       
   20         I, ...., do solemnly swear or affirm that I am a qualified
   21  and registered voter of .... County, Florida, and that I have
   22  not and will not vote more than one ballot in this election. I
   23  understand that if I commit or attempt to commit any fraud in
   24  connection with voting, vote a fraudulent ballot, or vote more
   25  than once in an election, I can be convicted of a felony of the
   26  third degree and fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to
   27  5 years. I also understand that failure to sign this certificate
   28  will invalidate my ballot.
   29  
   30  ...(Date)...                           ...(Voter’s Signature)...
   31  
   32         Section 6. Subsection (2) of section 101.6921, Florida
   33  Statutes, is amended to read:
   34         101.6921 Delivery of special absentee ballot to certain
   35  first-time voters.—
   36         (2) The supervisor shall enclose with each absentee ballot
   37  three envelopes: a secrecy envelope, into which the absent
   38  elector will enclose his or her marked ballot; an envelope
   39  containing the Voter’s Certificate, into which the absent
   40  elector shall place the secrecy envelope; and a mailing
   41  envelope, which shall be addressed to the supervisor with no
   42  return postage required and into which the absent elector will
   43  place the envelope containing the Voter’s Certificate and a copy
   44  of the required identification.
   45         Section 7. Section 101.65, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   46  read:
   47         101.65 Instructions to absent electors.—The supervisor
   48  shall enclose with each absentee ballot separate printed
   49  instructions in substantially the following form:
   50  
   51                  READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY                
   52                       BEFORE MARKING BALLOT.                      
   53         1. VERY IMPORTANT. In order to ensure that your absentee
   54  ballot will be counted, it should be completed and returned as
   55  soon as possible so that it can reach the supervisor of
   56  elections of the county in which your precinct is located no
   57  later than 7 p.m. on the day of the election. However, if you
   58  are an overseas voter casting a ballot in a presidential
   59  preference primary or general election, your absentee ballot
   60  must be postmarked or dated no later than the date of the
   61  election and received by the supervisor of elections of the
   62  county in which you are registered to vote no later than 10 days
   63  after the date of the election.
   64         2. Mark your ballot in secret as instructed on the ballot.
   65  You must mark your own ballot unless you are unable to do so
   66  because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.
   67         3. Mark only the number of candidates or issue choices for
   68  a race as indicated on the ballot. If you are allowed to “Vote
   69  for One” candidate and you vote for more than one candidate,
   70  your vote in that race will not be counted.
   71         4. Place your marked ballot in the enclosed secrecy
   72  envelope.
   73         5. Insert the secrecy envelope into the enclosed mailing
   74  envelope which is addressed to the supervisor.
   75         6. Seal the mailing envelope and completely fill out the
   76  Voter’s Certificate on the back of the mailing envelope.
   77         7. VERY IMPORTANT. In order for your absentee ballot to be
   78  counted, you must sign your name on the line above (Voter’s
   79  Signature). An absentee ballot will be considered illegal and
   80  not be counted if the signature on the voter’s certificate does
   81  not match the signature on record. The signature on file at the
   82  start of the canvass of the absentee ballots is the signature
   83  that will be used to verify your signature on the voter’s
   84  certificate. If you need to update your signature for this
   85  election, send your signature update on a voter registration
   86  application to your supervisor of elections so that it is
   87  received no later than the start of the canvassing of absentee
   88  ballots, which occurs no earlier than the 15th day before
   89  election day.
   90         8. VERY IMPORTANT. If you are an overseas voter, you must
   91  include the date you signed the Voter’s Certificate on the line
   92  above (Date) or your ballot may not be counted.
   93         9. Mail, deliver, or have delivered the completed mailing
   94  envelope. Be sure there is sufficient postage if mailed.
   95         10. FELONY NOTICE. It is a felony under Florida law to
   96  accept any gift, payment, or gratuity in exchange for your vote
   97  for a candidate. It is also a felony under Florida law to vote
   98  in an election using a false identity or false address, or under
   99  any other circumstances making your ballot false or fraudulent.
  100         Section 8. Subsection (2) of section 101.6923, Florida
  101  Statutes, is amended to read:
  102         101.6923 Special absentee ballot instructions for certain
  103  first-time voters.—
  104         (2) A voter covered by this section shall be provided with
  105  printed instructions with his or her absentee ballot in
  106  substantially the following form:
  107  
  108         READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE MARKING YOUR
  109         BALLOT. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY CAUSE
  110         YOUR BALLOT NOT TO COUNT.
  111  
  112         1. In order to ensure that your absentee ballot will be
  113  counted, it should be completed and returned as soon as possible
  114  so that it can reach the supervisor of elections of the county
  115  in which your precinct is located no later than 7 p.m. on the
  116  date of the election. However, if you are an overseas voter
  117  casting a ballot in a presidential preference primary or general
  118  election, your absentee ballot must be postmarked or dated no
  119  later than the date of the election and received by the
  120  supervisor of elections of the county in which you are
  121  registered to vote no later than 10 days after the date of the
  122  election.
  123         2. Mark your ballot in secret as instructed on the ballot.
  124  You must mark your own ballot unless you are unable to do so
  125  because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.
  126         3. Mark only the number of candidates or issue choices for
  127  a race as indicated on the ballot. If you are allowed to “Vote
  128  for One” candidate and you vote for more than one, your vote in
  129  that race will not be counted.
  130         4. Place your marked ballot in the enclosed secrecy
  131  envelope and seal the envelope.
  132         5. Insert the secrecy envelope into the enclosed envelope
  133  bearing the Voter’s Certificate. Seal the envelope and
  134  completely fill out the Voter’s Certificate on the back of the
  135  envelope.
  136         a. You must sign your name on the line above (Voter’s
  137  Signature).
  138         b. If you are an overseas voter, you must include the date
  139  you signed the Voter’s Certificate on the line above (Date) or
  140  your ballot may not be counted.
  141         c. An absentee ballot will be considered illegal and will
  142  not be counted if the signature on the Voter’s Certificate does
  143  not match the signature on record. The signature on file at the
  144  start of the canvass of the absentee ballots is the signature
  145  that will be used to verify your signature on the Voter’s
  146  Certificate. If you need to update your signature for this
  147  election, send your signature update on a voter registration
  148  application to your supervisor of elections so that it is
  149  received no later than the start of canvassing of absentee
  150  ballots, which occurs no earlier than the 15th day before
  151  election day.
  152         6. Unless you meet one of the exemptions in Item 7., you
  153  must make a copy of one of the following forms of
  154  identification:
  155         a. Identification which must include your name and
  156  photograph: United States passport; debit or credit card;
  157  military identification; student identification; retirement
  158  center identification; neighborhood association identification;
  159  or public assistance identification; or
  160         b. Identification which shows your name and current
  161  residence address: current utility bill, bank statement,
  162  government check, paycheck, or government document (excluding
  163  voter identification card).
  164         7. The identification requirements of Item 6. do not apply
  165  if you meet one of the following requirements:
  166         a. You are 65 years of age or older.
  167         b. You have a temporary or permanent physical disability.
  168         c. You are a member of a uniformed service on active duty
  169  who, by reason of such active duty, will be absent from the
  170  county on election day.
  171         d. You are a member of the Merchant Marine who, by reason
  172  of service in the Merchant Marine, will be absent from the
  173  county on election day.
  174         e. You are the spouse or dependent of a member referred to
  175  in paragraph c. or paragraph d. who, by reason of the active
  176  duty or service of the member, will be absent from the county on
  177  election day.
  178         f. You are currently residing outside the United States.
  179         8. Place the envelope bearing the Voter’s Certificate into
  180  the mailing envelope addressed to the supervisor. Insert a copy
  181  of your identification in the mailing envelope. DO NOT PUT YOUR
  182  IDENTIFICATION INSIDE THE SECRECY ENVELOPE WITH THE BALLOT OR
  183  INSIDE THE ENVELOPE WHICH BEARS THE VOTER’S CERTIFICATE OR YOUR
  184  BALLOT WILL NOT COUNT.
  185         9. Mail, deliver, or have delivered the completed mailing
  186  envelope. Be sure there is sufficient postage if mailed.
  187         10. FELONY NOTICE. It is a felony under Florida law to
  188  accept any gift, payment, or gratuity in exchange for your vote
  189  for a candidate. It is also a felony under Florida law to vote
  190  in an election using a false identity or false address, or under
  191  any other circumstances making your ballot false or fraudulent.
  192  
  193  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  194  And the title is amended as follows:
  195         Delete line 21
  196  and insert:
  197         met; amending ss. 101.64 and 101.6921; providing that
  198         postage is not required on the mailing envelope for
  199         certain absentee ballots; amending ss. 101.65 and
  200         101.6923, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made
  201         by the act; amending s. 101.68, F.S.; revising
  202         instructions