The bill CS/HB 991 aims to strengthen election integrity in Florida by implementing stricter voter registration and verification processes. It requires individuals registering to vote to affirm their citizenship and understand the penalties for providing false information. Voter registration applications must include documentation as mandated by federal law, and citizenship status will be verified through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. If an applicant's citizenship cannot be confirmed, they will be registered as an unverified voter and will not be allowed to vote until they provide sufficient evidence of their citizenship. The bill also introduces new identification requirements at polling places and mandates that the Department of State report on investigations of alleged election law violations.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing statutes regarding voter registration applications, emphasizing that they are only complete when all necessary information is verified, including citizenship status. It establishes new procedures for handling applications that cannot be verified by the book-closing deadline, requiring provisional ballots under certain conditions. The bill also introduces an automated independent vote validation process to ensure accurate vote tabulation and updates the procedures for addressing discrepancies found during the vote validation process. Overall, CS/HB 991 seeks to enhance the integrity, transparency, and security of Florida's electoral processes, with most provisions set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and the act itself on January 1, 2027.

Statutes affected:
H 991 Filed: 97.022, 97.051, 97.0525, 98.045, 98.093, 101.151, 101.5606, 101.56075, 101.591, 101.5911, 102.111, 102.166, 106.08, 98.0755, 101.048, 101.67, 104.16
H 991 c1: 97.022, 97.051, 97.0525, 98.045, 98.093, 101.043, 101.5606, 101.56075, 101.5612, 101.591, 101.5911, 101.68, 101.6923, 102.111, 102.166, 895.02, 98.0755, 101.67, 104.16