The Florida Senate

¹100.371  Initiatives; procedure for placement on ballot.--

(1)  Constitutional amendments proposed by initiative shall be placed on the ballot for the general election occurring in excess of 90 days from the certification of ballot position by the Secretary of State.

(2)  Such certification shall be issued when the Secretary of State has received verification certificates from the supervisors of elections indicating that the requisite number and distribution of valid signatures of electors have been submitted to and verified by the supervisors. Every signature shall be dated when made and shall be valid for a period of 4 years following such date, provided all other requirements of law are complied with.

(3)  The sponsor of an initiative amendment shall, prior to obtaining any signatures, register as a political committee pursuant to s. 106.03 and submit the text of the proposed amendment to the Secretary of State, with the form on which the signatures will be affixed, and shall obtain the approval of the Secretary of State of such form. The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules pursuant to s. 120.54 prescribing the style and requirements of such form.

(4)  The sponsor shall submit signed and dated forms to the appropriate supervisor of elections for verification as to the number of registered electors whose valid signatures appear thereon. The supervisor shall promptly verify the signatures upon payment of the fee required by s. 99.097. Upon completion of verification, the supervisor shall execute a certificate indicating the total number of signatures checked, the number of signatures verified as valid and as being of registered electors, and the distribution by congressional district. This certificate shall be immediately transmitted to the Secretary of State. The supervisor shall retain the signature forms for at least 1 year following the election in which the issue appeared on the ballot or until the Division of Elections notifies the supervisors of elections that the committee which circulated the petition is no longer seeking to obtain ballot position.

(5)  The Secretary of State shall determine from the verification certificates received from supervisors of elections the total number of verified valid signatures and the distribution of such signatures by congressional districts. Upon a determination that the requisite number and distribution of valid signatures have been obtained, the secretary shall issue a certificate of ballot position for that proposed amendment and shall assign a designating number pursuant to s. 101.161. A petition shall be deemed to be filed with the Secretary of State upon the date of the receipt by the secretary of a certificate or certificates from supervisors of elections indicating the petition has been signed by the constitutionally required number of electors.

(6)  The Department of State shall have the authority to promulgate rules in accordance with s. 120.54 to carry out the provisions of this section.

History.--s. 15, ch. 79-365; s. 12, ch. 83-251; s. 30, ch. 84-302; s. 22, ch. 97-13.

¹Note.--The text as published here does not include an amendment by s. 22, ch. 97-13. Section 56, ch. 97-13, provides that the amendment to s. 100.371 by s. 22, ch. 97-13, "relating to signature verification periods and random sampling for proposed initiative amendments, shall take effect on the effective date of amendments to the State Constitution approved by the electors at the general election to be held in November 1998 which authorize, or remove impediment to, enactment by the Legislature of the provisions of that section." Other portions of the changes by s. 22, ch. 97-13, were apparently not subject to the contingency. No constitutional amendment relating to signature verification periods and random sampling for proposed initiative petitions passed at the 1998 general election. As amended by s. 22, ch. 97-13, the text of s. 100.371 reads:

100.371  Initiatives; procedure for placement on ballot.--

(1)(a)  The sponsor of a constitutional amendment proposed by initiative must register as a political committee under s. 106.03 prior to taking or initiating any action with respect to that amendment.

(b)  After registering as a political committee, the sponsor of a constitutional amendment proposed by initiative shall submit the text of the proposed initiative amendment and the petition format to the division for approval. The division shall promulgate rules pursuant to s. 120.54 prescribing the style and requirements of petition formats.

(2)(a)  If the sponsor of a proposed initiative amendment intends to employ or contract with any person to gather voter signatures, the sponsor must, before employing or contracting with such person, file an affidavit with the division, the form of which shall be prepared by the division, giving notice of the intended use of paid petition circulators.

(b)  A sponsor of a proposed initiative amendment who uses paid petition circulators shall provide to the division the name and address of each individual paid to gather petition signatures. Such information shall be filed at the time reports are filed pursuant to s. 106.07.

(c)  Each paid petition circulator must place his or her name and address on each petition form for which he or she is gathering signatures on behalf of the sponsor of the proposed initiative amendment. The sponsor of a proposed initiative amendment is responsible for ensuring that the name and address of the paid circulator appear on the petition form prior to its submission to the supervisor for verification.

(d)  A sponsor of a proposed initiative amendment who uses paid petition circulators may not file an oath of undue burden in lieu of paying the fee required by s. 99.097 for the verification of signatures gathered.

(3)  No later than 5 p.m. on the 151st day prior to the general election at which the proposed initiative amendment is to be voted on for a name-by-name, signature-by-signature verification and no later than 5 p.m. on the 121st day prior to the general election at which the proposed initiative amendment is to be voted on for a random-sampling verification, the sponsor shall submit signed and dated petition forms for that petition to each appropriate supervisor for verification as to the number of voters whose valid signatures appear thereon. Each signature shall be dated when made and shall be valid for a period of 4 years following such date, provided all other requirements of law are complied with. The supervisor shall promptly verify the signatures upon payment of the fee or filing of the oath of undue burden required by s. 99.097. Upon completion of verification, which shall occur no later than the 91st day prior to the general election, the supervisor shall execute a certificate indicating the total number of signatures checked, the number of signatures verified as valid, and the distribution of signatures by congressional district. This certificate shall be immediately transmitted to the division. The supervisor shall retain the signed and dated petition forms for at least 1 year following the election in which the proposed initiative amendment appeared on the ballot or until the division notifies the supervisors that the committee which circulated the petition is no longer seeking to obtain ballot position.

(4)  The division shall determine from the certificates received from the supervisors the total number of valid signatures and the distribution of such signatures by congressional district. Upon a determination that the requisite number and distribution of valid signatures have been obtained, the division shall issue a certificate of ballot position for that proposed initiative amendment and shall assign a designating number pursuant to s. 101.161. A petition is considered filed with the Secretary of State upon the date of the receipt by the division of a certificate or certificates from the supervisors indicating that the petition has been signed by the constitutionally required number of voters.

(5)  Constitutional amendments proposed by initiative shall be placed on the ballot for the next general election held more than 90 days after the certification of ballot position by the division.

(6)  The division may promulgate rules to carry out the provisions of this section.