Florida Senate - 2015                                    SB 1194
       
       
        
       By Senator Joyner
       
       
       
       
       
       19-01371A-15                                          20151194__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to overseas absentee ballots; amending
    3         s. 101.697, F.S.; requiring the Department of State to
    4         develop instructions and procedures for the electronic
    5         submission of voted absentee ballots from overseas
    6         voters; requiring the department, in consultation with
    7         supervisors of elections, to develop security
    8         measures; prescribing requirements for such security
    9         measures; requiring the department to perform an
   10         annual security assessment; providing an effective
   11         date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 101.697, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   16  read:
   17         101.697 Electronic transmission of election materials.—The
   18  Department of State shall determine whether secure electronic
   19  means can be established for receiving ballots from overseas
   20  voters. If such security can be established, the department
   21  shall adopt rules to authorize a supervisor of elections to
   22  accept from an overseas voter, including uniformed and civilian
   23  overseas absentee voters, a request for an absentee ballot or a
   24  voted absentee ballot by secure facsimile machine transmission
   25  or other secure electronic means. The rules must provide that in
   26  order to accept a voted ballot, the verification of the voter
   27  must be established, the security of the transmission must be
   28  established, and each ballot received must be recorded. The
   29  department shall provide instructions, procedures, and services
   30  for the secure return of voted absentee ballots by electronic
   31  means under this section. The department shall, in consultation
   32  with supervisors of elections, develop security measures to
   33  ensure the accuracy and integrity of absentee voting by
   34  electronic means and to reasonably secure the transmission,
   35  processing, and storage of voter data from interception and
   36  unauthorized access. The department shall perform an annual
   37  security assessment after each election to evaluate the number
   38  of or any discrepancy in the votes received electronically.
   39         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.