Florida is a bellwether state for elections. Because of its size, its status as a major source for campaign funds, its politically divided electorate and its history as an electoral battleground, what happens in Florida affects public confidence in elections systems throughout the nation. The Collins Center is Florida's preeminent non-partisan organization with expertise in elections administration and reform. We have been involved with and assisting in Florida's election reform efforts since the days of hanging chads.

Survey Results: Floridians Want Reform of the Election System
Florida's residents were the center of the nation's attention for several months before and after the 2000 presidential Election. Florida political scientists felt it was extremely important to find out what impact this "major shock" had on Florida residents' opinions about our state's election system.  The Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc. and The James Madison Institute, a Washington, DC-based firm sponsored a telephone survey of 600 Floridians April 3-8, 2001. The results clearly showed that most Floridians favored reform of our election system and expect reforms to be in place before the November 2002 election.

Governor's Select Task Force on Elections Procedures, Standards and Technology - 2001
Following the Election 2000 controversy in Florida, Governor Jeb Bush asked the Collins Center to organize and staff the Governor's Select Task Force on Elections Procedures, Standards and Technology. Its purpose was to research the best practices for elections procedures and standards and to find the best available technology, to take public testimony and input, and to recommend solutions to the Governor and the Legislature.

Governor's Select Task Force on Elections Procedures, Standards and Technology - 2002
In 2002, Florida continued to improve its elections process. Building on major lessons learned and actions taken following the 2000 General Election, many of Florida’s 67independent counties improved training for poll workers, purchased and began to use new voting equipment, increased voter knowledge through active education projects and followed new state procedures and standards for counting ballots and resolving disputes. Governor Bush created the 2002 Select Task Force on Election Procedures, Standards and Technology in order to review the 2002 election cycle and to develop recommendations for the further refinement and improvement of Florida's electoral system.

Voter Survey Reveals Reforms Working
Florida’s voters went to the polls on November 5, 2002 to test one of the nation’s most comprehensive election reform efforts since the very close and controversial 2000 presidential election. New voting machines, new voter education efforts, new early voting schedules, and newly trained poll workers were key pieces of this election process.

Follow-up Voter Satisfaction Surveys were also conducted in 2004 and 2006.  Results from all three surveys indicated that Florida has come a long way to restore voter confidence since the 2000 presidential election. “Florida's voters are giving high marks to their local election supervisors, poll workers, and the new voting technology that has been put in place statewide,” said Dr. Susan MacManus from the University of South Florida.