1S-2.037: Provisional Ballots
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of the proposed amendment is to conform the rule to the change made recently by the Florida Legislature through the enactment of chapter 2007-30, Laws of Florida, that reduced the number of days from 3 days to 2 days in which provisional ballot voters have to submit to the supervisor of elections written evidence supporting their eligibility to vote before their provisional ballot can be counted. This requirement does not apply to a provisional ballot voter who voted a provisional ballot because he or she did not have the proper identification. Such provisional ballot voter is not required to provide written evidence of his or her eligibility to the supervisor of elections. In such cases, the ballot will be counted if the signature on the Provisional Ballot Voter’s Certification and Affirmation matches the signature in the person’s voter registration record.
SUMMARY: The proposed rule amendment conforms the rule regarding provisional ballot voters to a recent legislative change in the Florida Election Code. No changes are required for the forms incorporated by reference.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 20.10(3), 97.012, 101.048 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 97.053(6), 101.43, 101.048, 101.049, 101.111 FS.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: Monday, August 20, 2007, 2:00 p.m.
PLACE: Florida Heritage Hall, Plaza Level, R.A. Gray Building, Tallahassee, Florida
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Maria I. Matthews, Assistant General Counsel. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, (800)955-8771 (TDD) or (800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Maria I. Matthews, Assistant General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, Division of Elections, Department of State, 500 S. Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250
Copies of the proposed rule are also available for viewing and downloading off the Division of Elections’ website at: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/index.html or by contacting the above-named person at (850)245-6536. Copies of the proposed rule are also available by contacting the Division of Elections at (850)245-6536, or by accessing online from the Division of Elections’ rules webpage at: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/index.html or through the Department of State’s E-rulemaking program at: www.flrules.org. Comments regarding the rule may also be submitted online via the E-rulemaking program.
THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:
1S-2.037 Provisional Ballots.
(1) Notice of Rights to Provisional Ballot Voters. Written instructions are to be provided to each person who casts a provisional ballot and shall be entitled “Notice of Rights to Provisional Ballot Voters.” The instructions shall contain:
(a) Information on how to access the respective county supervisor of election’s free access system and the information the voter will need to provide to obtain information on whether his or her provisional ballot was counted, and if not, the reason it was not counted.
(b) The statement “If this is a primary election, you should contact the supervisor of elections’ office immediately to confirm that you are registered and can vote in the general election.”
(c) The statement “You may provide written evidence supporting your eligibility to vote to the Supervisor of Elections at (provide address of the Supervisor) by no later than third day following the election.”
(d) The statement “If you voted a provisional ballot because you did not have the proper identification, your ballot will be counted if your signature on the provisional ballot Voter’s Certificate and Affirmation matches the signature on your registration record and if you voted in the proper precinct. You will not need to provide further written evidence to the Supervisor of Elections.”
(2) Forms for Certificates and Affirmations. The Department of State, Division of Elections, is required to establish forms for Provisional Ballot Certificates and Affirmations to be used statewide. Subject to the exception in subsection (3), provisional ballot certificates and affirmations shall be substantially in accordance with Form DS DE 49 OS (Eff. 01/06), entitled “Optical Scan, Provisional Ballot Voter’s Certificate and Affirmation”; Form DS DE 49 OS/TS (eff. 01/06), entitled “Touch Screen, Provisional Ballot Voter’s Certificate and Affirmation”; or Form DS DE 49 OT (eff. 01/06), entitled “Optical Scan/Touchscreen, Provisional Ballot Voter’s Certificate and Affirmation”. All forms under this rule are hereby incorporated by reference. Copies of the forms may be obtained from the Division of Elections, Room 316, R. A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250, from the Division of Elections website at: http://election.dos.state.fl.us, or by contacting the Division of Elections at (850)245-6200.
(3) Exception. In order to ensure the secrecy of the ballot of each provisional ballot voter, the following forms and procedures must be used and followed in all counties using the Sequoia Touch Screen Voting System:
(a) Forms. Form DS DE 50 Sequoia, entitled “Sequoia Touch Screen, Provisional Ballot Voter’s Certificate and Affirmation,” (eff. 06/06) shall be used as the provisional ballot envelope form, and form DS DE 50 Sequoia-A, entitled “Provisional Ballot Identification Number Form,” (eff. 06/06) shall be used to write the provisional ballot voter’s identification number, in reference to the procedures in paragraphs (b) and (c).
(b) Procedures at the polls:
1. Once a determination is made that a voter needs to vote a provisional ballot, the voter is provided with the provisional ballot envelope form DS DE 50 Sequoia.
2. The voter fills out the Provisional Ballot Voter’s Certificate and Affirmation using DS DE 50 Sequoia and provides it to the election official to witness.
3. The election official witnesses the voter’s signature and fills out the information on the back side of the envelope indicating the reason the voter is voting a provisional ballot.
4. The election official activates the voter card and writes the provisional ballot number from the card activator on a separate form using DS DE 50 Sequoia-A.
5. The voter verifies that the provisional ballot identification number on the form matches the ballot number from the card activator display.
6. The voter places the form with the ballot identification number in the Provisional Ballot envelope and seals the envelope.
7. The voter proceeds to the touch screen voting system and votes his or her provisional ballot.
8. At the close of the polls, all completed provisional ballot envelopes are returned to the supervisor of elections.
(c) Procedures during the canvassing process:
1. The canvassing board determines the eligibility of each provisional voter.
2. For each provisional voter that is determined to be eligible, the provisional ballot envelope shall be opened and the provisional ballot number shall be separated from the envelope containing the voter’s name to ensure that the voter’s name and provisional ballot number cannot be connected.
3. All ballots connected to the provisional ballot numbers for eligible voters shall be tabulated according to the procedures for tabulating ballots provided by the manufacturer.
4. For each provisional voter that is determined to be ineligible, the provisional ballot envelope shall not be opened and the Provisional Ballot Identification Number shall remain sealed in the envelope.
(d) Provisional ballot procedures on election day and during the early voting period must otherwise meet all requirements of this rule.
Specific Authority 20.10(3), 97.012(1), (2), 101.048 FS. Law Implemented 97.053(6), 101.043, 101.048, 101.049, 101.111 FS. History–New