Florida Senate - 2015 CS for CS for SB 228
By the Committees on Appropriations; and Ethics and Elections;
and Senators Clemens and Richter
576-04236-15 2015228c2
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 appropriation;
15 providing an effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Section 97.0525, Florida Statutes, is created to
20 read:
21 97.0525 Online voter registration.—
22 (1) Beginning October 1, 2017, an applicant may submit an
23 online voter registration application using the procedures set
24 forth in this section.
25 (2) The division shall establish a secure Internet website
26 to permit an applicant to:
27 (a) Submit a voter registration application, including
28 first-time voter registration applications and updates to
29 existing voter registration records.
30 (b) Submit information necessary to establish an
31 applicant’s eligibility to vote, pursuant to s. 97.041, which
32 must include the information required for the uniform statewide
33 voter registration application pursuant to s. 97.052(2).
34 (c) Swear to the oath required pursuant to s. 97.051.
35 (3) The division shall establish appropriate technological
36 security measures, including use of a unique identifier for each
37 applicant, to prevent unauthorized persons from altering a
38 voter’s registration information.
39 (4)(a) The online voter registration system shall compare
40 the Florida driver license number or Florida identification
41 number submitted pursuant to s. 97.052(2)(n) with information
42 maintained by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
43 Vehicles to confirm that the name and date of birth on the
44 application are consistent with the records of the Department of
45 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
46 (b) If the applicant’s name and date of birth are
47 consistent with the records of the Department of Highway Safety
48 and Motor Vehicles, the online voter registration system shall
49 transmit, using the statewide voter registration system
50 maintained pursuant to s. 98.035, the applicant’s registration
51 application, along with the digital signature of the applicant
52 on file with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
53 Vehicles, to the supervisor of elections. The applicant’s
54 digital signature satisfies the signature requirement of s.
55 97.052(2)(q).
56 (c) If the applicant’s name and date of birth cannot be
57 verified by the records of the Department of Highway Safety and
58 Motor Vehicles, or if the applicant indicated that he or she has
59 not been issued a Florida driver license or Florida
60 identification card, the online voter registration system shall
61 populate the applicant’s information into a printable voter
62 registration application pursuant to s. 97.052(2) and direct the
63 applicant to print, sign, and date the application and deliver
64 the application to the supervisor of elections for disposition
65 pursuant to s. 97.073.
66 (5) Upon submission of a completed online voter
67 registration application, the website must generate an immediate
68 electronic confirmation that the supervisor of elections has
69 received the application and provide instructions regarding the
70 ability of a registrant to check the status of the application
71 thereafter.
72 (6) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the
73 supervisor of elections shall process the application pursuant
74 to s. 97.053.
75 (7) The online voter registration system must conform to
76 nationally accepted standards for accessibility for individuals
77 with disabilities, including s. 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of
78 1973, s. 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the Web
79 Content Accessibility Guidelines of the World Wide Web
80 Consortium, to ensure equal access for voters with disabilities.
81 (8) A legal distinction may not be made between online
82 voter registration under this section and voter registration in
83 person, by mail, or by other methods provided by general law.
84 Section 2. No later than January 1, 2016, the Division of
85 Elections shall submit a report to the President of the Senate
86 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives regarding the
87 implementation of online voter registration. In the report, the
88 division shall summarize progress to date in implementing online
89 voter registration and expected implementation timeframes, and
90 shall propose any further legislation needed to facilitate
91 online voter registration.
92 Section 3. For the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the sum of $1.8
93 million in nonrecurring funds from the Federal Grants Trust Fund
94 is appropriated to the Department of State to implement this
95 act.
96 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.