Florida Senate - 2021 SENATOR AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/CS/SB 90, 1st Eng.
Ì532018ÆÎ532018
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
.
.
.
.
.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Senator Jones moved the following:
1 Senate Amendment to House Amendment (107453) (with
2 directory and title amendments)
3
4 Between lines 777 and 778
5 insert:
6 (5) The secrecy envelope must include, in bold font,
7 substantially the following message:
8
9 IN ORDER FOR YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT TO COUNT, YOUR BALLOT MUST
10 BE POSTMARKED OR DATED NO LATER THAN THE DATE OF THE ELECTION
11 AND YOUR SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS MUST RECEIVE YOUR BALLOT NO
12 LATER THAN 10 DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION BY 7 P.M. ON ELECTION DAY.
13 IF YOU WAIT TO MAIL YOUR BALLOT, YOUR VOTE MIGHT NOT COUNT. TO
14 PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING, PLEASE MAIL OR TURN IN YOUR BALLOT
15 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
16 Section 22. Section 101.65, Florida Statutes, is amended to
17 read:
18 101.65 Instructions to absent electors.—The supervisor
19 shall enclose with each vote-by-mail ballot separate printed
20 instructions in substantially the following form; however, where
21 the instructions appear in capitalized text, the text of the
22 printed instructions must be in bold font:
23
24 READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
25 BEFORE MARKING BALLOT.
26
27 1. VERY IMPORTANT. In order to ensure that your vote-by
28 mail ballot will be counted, it should be completed and returned
29 as soon as possible so that it can be postmarked or dated no
30 later than the day of the election, if mailed, and reach the
31 supervisor of elections of the county in which your precinct is
32 located no later than 10 days after 7 p.m. on the date day of
33 the election. However, if you are an overseas voter casting a
34 ballot in a presidential preference primary or general election,
35 your vote-by-mail ballot must be postmarked or dated no later
36 than the date of the election and received by the supervisor of
37 elections of the county in which you are registered to vote no
38 later than 10 days after the date of the election. Note that the
39 later you return your ballot, the less time you will have to
40 cure any signature deficiencies, which is authorized until 5
41 p.m. on the 2nd day after the election.
42 2. Mark your ballot in secret as instructed on the ballot.
43 You must mark your own ballot unless you are unable to do so
44 because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.
45 3. Mark only the number of candidates or issue choices for
46 a race as indicated on the ballot. If you are allowed to “Vote
47 for One” candidate and you vote for more than one candidate,
48 your vote in that race will not be counted.
49 4. Place your marked ballot in the enclosed secrecy
50 envelope.
51 5. Insert the secrecy envelope into the enclosed mailing
52 envelope which is addressed to the supervisor.
53 6. Seal the mailing envelope and completely fill out the
54 Voter’s Certificate on the back of the mailing envelope.
55 7. VERY IMPORTANT. In order for your vote-by-mail ballot to
56 be counted, you must sign your name on the line above (Voter’s
57 Signature). A vote-by-mail ballot will be considered illegal and
58 not be counted if the signature on the voter’s certificate does
59 not match the signature on record. The signature on file at the
60 time the supervisor of elections in the county in which your
61 precinct is located receives your vote-by-mail ballot is the
62 signature that will be used to verify your signature on the
63 voter’s certificate. If you need to update your signature for
64 this election, send your signature update on a voter
65 registration application to your supervisor of elections so that
66 it is received before your vote-by-mail ballot is received.
67 8. VERY IMPORTANT. If you are an overseas voter, you must
68 include the date you signed the Voter’s Certificate on the line
69 above (Date) or your ballot may not be counted.
70 9. Mail, deliver, or have delivered the completed mailing
71 envelope. Be sure there is sufficient postage if mailed. THE
72 COMPLETED MAILING ENVELOPE CAN BE DELIVERED TO THE OFFICE OF THE
73 SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OF THE COUNTY IN WHICH YOUR PRECINCT IS
74 LOCATED OR DROPPED OFF AT AN AUTHORIZED SECURE DROP BOX,
75 AVAILABLE AT EACH EARLY VOTING LOCATION.
76 10. FELONY NOTICE. It is a felony under Florida law to
77 accept any gift, payment, or gratuity in exchange for your vote
78 for a candidate. It is also a felony under Florida law to vote
79 in an election using a false identity or false address, or under
80 any other circumstances making your ballot false or fraudulent.
81 Section 23. Subsection (2) of section 101.67, Florida
82 Statutes, is amended to read:
83 101.67 Safekeeping of mailed ballots; deadline for
84 receiving vote-by-mail ballots.—
85 (2) Except as provided in s. 101.6952(5), All marked absent
86 electors’ ballots to be counted must be postmarked or dated no
87 later than the day of the election and received by the
88 supervisor by 10 days after 7 p.m. the date day of the election.
89 All ballots received thereafter shall be marked with the time
90 and date of receipt and filed in the supervisor’s office.
91
92 ====== D I R E C T O R Y C L A U S E A M E N D M E N T ======
93 And the directory clause is amended as follows:
94 Delete lines 747 - 748
95 and insert:
96 Section 21. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 101.64,
97 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
98
99 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
100 And the title is amended as follows:
101 Between lines 1268 and 1269
102 insert:
103 revising the form of the secrecy envelope of a vote
104 by-mail ballot; amending s. 101.65, F.S.; revising
105 instructions to absent electors to conform to changes
106 made by the act; amending s. 101.67, F.S.; revising
107 the deadline by which the supervisor must receive a
108 vote-by-mail ballot;