Statewide Reforms
In March 2001, the Governor's Select Task Force on Election Procedures, Standards and Technology made 29 recommendations affecting the Florida Division of Elections and the state Department of Education.
Of the 29 recommendations, 23 were later passed into law. The six remaining recommendations were either voted down by the Legislature, conflicted with federal law or were not needed because the state Division of Elections developed its own curriculum to address the issue.
As a result of the recommendations and legislation:
- All counties are required to use the same optical scan voting system and to tabulate votes at the precinct rather than the supervisor of elections office.
- Ballots in each county must follow a uniform design approved by the state.
- There are uniform standards for recounts.
- Each county is required to report its voter education activities to the Division of Elections following each general election and rank the success. Activities include mailing sample ballots, holding voter registration drives and advertising in the local media. Prior to 2000, there was no such reporting requirement.
- Florida now has a statewide voter registration system that is both centralized and interactive. The system is used as a mechanism to prevent duplicate registrations within the state, which was an issue in 2000, and determine eligibility. Before citizens are added to the list of registered voters, their names are run through the Department of Corrections' database, the Florida Drivers License system, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Vital Statistics.
- Anyone registered to vote in Florida is eligible to receive an absentee ballot.
- Voters whose eligibility is in question on Election Day can still vote, subject to verification of their eligibility at a later time.
- Members of county canvassing boards, which review election results to either certify or order a recount, are prohibited from serving if they are a candidate with opposition in the election or if they are an active participant in the campaign or candidacy of any candidate who has opposition in the election.
- The Legislature provided a combined $24 million to help counties install the optical scan voting systems.
- Voters have voter information cards instead of voter identification cards.
- The Legislature eliminated the second primary, resulting in 10 weeks between the primary and general elections providing adequate time for supervisors to prepare ballots and set up absentee voting.
- There is no longer a requirement for a notary or witness on absentee ballots; overseas ballots need only be signed and dated by election day and received within 10 days following the election; there is no requirement for indicating a reason for voting absentee; and requests for absentee need only the name, address and date of birth of the voter.
- The Florida Elections Canvassing Commission, which certifies the state’s election results, has jurisdiction for resolving all protests, including ordering recounts.
- Recounts are open to the public to observe.
- If one county conducts a manual recount in a multi-county district, state or federal election, then all counties involved in that race must conduct manual recounts.
- Middle school civics education courses must address the roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local governments; the structures and functions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government; and the meaning and significance of historic documents, such as the Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, and Constitution of the United States
- The state Department of Education must develop and administer a statewide, end-of-course assessment in civics education at the middle-school level beginning in 2012. Beginning with the 2013-2014 year, the test will constitute 30 percent of a student’s final course grade. Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, a student must earn passing scores on the civics assessment to pass the course and receive credit.
Recommendations not adopted:
- The Division of Elections and the supervisors of election should establish a regional and internet-based training program for poll workers. The program was not adopted because many supervisors of election have purchased online poll worker training programs to supplement their face-to-face training. In addition, the Division of Elections has developed a statewide poll worker training curriculum to assure that training of the basic requirements is standard throughout the state.
- The Florida Legislature should change the elected county Supervisors of Elections to non-partisan positions. The Legislature did not pass this bill.
- The Florida Legislature should allow elections supervisors to appeal to the state cabinet over issues involving the county commission’s decisions about its operations budget.
- The Florida Legislature should send a joint resolution to the U.S. Congress requesting that Congress consider enacting legislation requiring uniform closing times or the counting of votes simultaneously in all time zones for presidential elections.
- The Florida Legislature should authorize the state elections division and elections supervisors to accelerate research and develop programs involving Internet voting for overseas voters. This proposal was met with a great deal of resistance from the public who attended a rule workshop.
- The Florida Legislature should expand the time between elections and for the certification of election results. The Constitution provides that the Legislature meet in organizational session two weeks following the General election. Therefore, the general election must be certified by the Elections Canvassing Commission by that time.
