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.