Florida Senate - 2015 CS for SB 228
By the Committee on Ethics and Elections; and Senators Clemens
and Richter
582-02440-15 2015228c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to online voter registration; creating
3 s. 97.0525, F.S.; requiring the Division of Elections
4 of the Department of State to develop an online voter
5 registration system; providing application and
6 security requirements; requiring the system to compare
7 information submitted online with Department of
8 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records; providing
9 for the disposition of voter registration
10 applications; requiring system compliance with federal
11 accessibility provisions; providing for construction;
12 requiring the division to report to the Legislature
13 regarding online voter registration implementation by
14 a specified date; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 97.0525, Florida Statutes, is created to
19 read:
20 97.0525 Online voter registration.—
21 (1) Beginning October 1, 2017, an applicant may submit an
22 online voter registration application using the procedures set
23 forth in this section.
24 (2) The division shall establish a secure Internet website
25 to permit an applicant to:
26 (a) Submit a voter registration application, including
27 first-time voter registration applications and updates to
28 existing voter registration records.
29 (b) Submit information necessary to establish an
30 applicant’s eligibility to vote, pursuant to s. 97.041, which
31 must include the information required for the uniform statewide
32 voter registration application pursuant to s. 97.052(2).
33 (c) Swear to the oath required pursuant to s. 97.051.
34 (3) The division shall establish appropriate technological
35 security measures, including use of a unique identifier for each
36 applicant, to prevent unauthorized persons from altering a
37 voter’s registration information.
38 (4)(a) The online voter registration system shall compare
39 the Florida driver license number or Florida identification
40 number submitted pursuant to s. 97.052(2)(n) with information
41 maintained by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
42 Vehicles to confirm that the name and date of birth on the
43 application are consistent with the records of the Department of
44 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
45 (b) If the applicant’s name and date of birth are
46 consistent with the records of the Department of Highway Safety
47 and Motor Vehicles, the online voter registration system shall
48 transmit, using the statewide voter registration system
49 maintained pursuant to s. 98.035, the applicant’s registration
50 application, along with the digital signature of the applicant
51 on file with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
52 Vehicles, to the supervisor of elections. The applicant’s
53 digital signature satisfies the signature requirement of s.
54 97.052(2)(q).
55 (c) If the applicant’s name and date of birth cannot be
56 verified by the records of the Department of Highway Safety and
57 Motor Vehicles, or if the applicant indicated that he or she has
58 not been issued a Florida driver license or Florida
59 identification card, the online voter registration system shall
60 populate the applicant’s information into a printable voter
61 registration application pursuant to s. 97.052(2) and direct the
62 applicant to print, sign, and date the application and deliver
63 the application to the supervisor of elections for disposition
64 pursuant to s. 97.073.
65 (5) Upon submission of a completed online voter
66 registration application, the website must generate an immediate
67 electronic confirmation that the supervisor of elections has
68 received the application and provide instructions regarding the
69 ability of a registrant to check the status of the application
70 thereafter.
71 (6) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the
72 supervisor of elections shall process the application pursuant
73 to s. 97.053.
74 (7) The online voter registration system must conform to
75 nationally accepted standards for accessibility for individuals
76 with disabilities, including s. 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of
77 1973, s. 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the Web
78 Content Accessibility Guidelines of the World Wide Web
79 Consortium, to ensure equal access for voters with disabilities.
80 (8) A legal distinction may not be made between online
81 voter registration under this section and voter registration in
82 person, by mail, or by other methods provided by general law.
83 Section 2. No later than January 1, 2016, the Division of
84 Elections shall submit a report to the President of the Senate
85 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives regarding the
86 implementation of online voter registration. In the report, the
87 division shall summarize progress to date in implementing online
88 voter registration and expected implementation timeframes, and
89 shall propose any further legislation needed to facilitate
90 online voter registration.
91 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.