HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF FINAL BILL ANALYSIS
BILL #: HB 7067 PCB SAC 23-01 Elections
SPONSOR(S): State Affairs Committee, McClure, Salzman, and others
TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS: CS/SB 7050
FINAL HOUSE FLOOR ACTION: 76 Y’s 34 N’s GOVERNOR’S ACTION: Approved
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
HB 7067 passed the House on April 28, 2023, as CS/SB 7050. The bill includes HB 7005.
The Florida Election Code provides for the state’s election laws. In part, the bill revises the Florida Election
Code to:
 Require signature matching training for supervisors of elections (supervisors) and county canvassing
board (CCB) members.
 Authorize notice to be made on specified websites as an alternative to newspaper publication.
 Revise and create additional requirements for third-party voter registration organizations.
 Require additional information be included on voter information cards.
 Maintain a public record exemption for certain voter registration information received.
 Revise processes used by supervisors and the Department of State (DOS) in voter registration list
maintenance activities and enhance information other governmental entities must provide.
 Require supervisors to coordinate with clerks of court to receive updates on persons convicted of
felonies and require supervisors to have direct access to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
Vehicles driver information system.
 Require a voter to vote a provisional ballot if he or she has been issued a notice of potential ineligibility
to vote.
 Revise requirements for post-election reports and certain precinct boundary data.
 Create a new candidate disclosure requirement for outstanding fines exceeding $250 related to ethics
and campaign finance violations.
 Create methods for candidates to use nicknames on the ballot.
 Revise certain vote-by-mail ballot provisions and require DOS to adopt a uniform statewide application
for such ballot requests.
 Require certain public, tax-supported buildings be made available as early voting locations.
 Clarify that certain restrictions on individuals qualifying for public office do not apply to persons seeking
the office of President or Vice President of the United States.
 Provide that a presidential elector’s refusal or failure to vote for the candidates of the party he or she
was nominated to represent constitutes resignation of the position.
 Revise frequency of campaign finance reporting, preempt local governments from enacting different
reporting schedules, and provide that text messages do not constitute contributions toward specified
contribution limits.
 Create a new framework regulating use of voter guides and require a disclaimer.
 Increase fines that may be imposed for specified election law violations and attach fines against a
political committee jointly and severally to the chair of the political committee in certain circumstances.
The bill will likely result in a fiscal impact to state and local governments and the private sector.
The bill was approved by the Governor on May 24, 2023, ch. 2023-120, L.O.F., and will become effective on
July 1, 2023, except as otherwise provided.
This document does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
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 I. SUBSTANTIVE INFORMATION
A. EFFECT OF CHANGES:
Voter Signature
Background
Voter Signature
Applicants registering to vote in Florida must provide their signature as part of their voter registration
application, which then becomes part of the voter registration record.1 Thereafter, voters can update
their signature by using a voter registration application and submitting it to a voter registration official. 2
The Department of State (DOS) and supervisors of elections (supervisors) generally must include in
any voter correspondence information regarding how to update the voter’s signature. 3 At least once
during each general election year, supervisors must publish in a newspaper of general circulation a
notice informing voters how to update their signature.4
The signature in a voter’s registration record is used to verify the voter’s identity when casting a ballot
in certain circumstances, such as vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots,5 mail ballot elections,6 and provisional
ballots.7 The signature is also used to verify a voter’s signature on a petition. 8 Supervisors and county
canvassing boards (CCB) are responsible for verifying signatures.9 In these circumstances, such ballot
or petition signatures may only be counted if the signature is verified as the voter’s signature in his or
her voter registration record.
All signature updates for use in verifying VBM and provisional ballots must be received by the
supervisor before the voter’s ballot is received by the supervisor or, in the case of a provisional ballot,
before the voter’s ballot is cast.10 The signature that is on file at such times is the signature that will be
used for verifying the voter’s signature.11
Signature Matching Training
Current law requires the Secretary of State (Secretary) to provide formal signature matching training to
supervisors and CCB members.12
Effect of the Bill
The bill no longer requires DOS to include in correspondence the information informing a voter how to
update his or her signature, but maintains the requirement for supervisors. The bill requires the notice
supervisors must publish informing voters how to update their signatures each general election year to
1 Section 97.052(2)(q), F.S.
2 Section 98.077(1), F.S. The term “voter registration official” means supervisors of elections or individuals authorized by the
Secretary of State to accept voter registration applications and execute updates to the statewide voter registration system. See s.
97.021(45), F.S.
3 Section 98.077(2), F.S.
4 Section 98.077(3), F.S.
5 Sections 101.65 and 101.6923(2)5.c., F.S.
6 Mail ballot elections are elections conducted by supervisors mailing official ballots to qualified voters, which may only occ ur in
certain circumstances and procedures. See ss. 101.6102 and 101.6103, F.S.
7 Section 101.048(2)(b), F.S. A voter claiming to be properly registered in the state and eligible to vote at the precinct but whose
eligibility cannot be determined, a person whom an election official asserts is not eligible, and other certain persons are entitled to vote
a provisional ballot. See s. 101.048(1), F.S.
8 Section 99.097(3)(a), F.S.
9 See ss. 101.68, 101.6103(5)(c), and 101.048, F.S.
10 Section 98.077(4)(a), F.S.
11 Section 98.077(4)(b), F.S
12 Section 97.012(17), F.S.
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 occur before the presidential preference primary or the primary election, whichever occurs first. The bill
authorizes supervisors to publish this information on the county’s website or on the supervisor’s
website in lieu of the newspaper.
The bill requires all signature updates for verifying petitions be received by the supervisor before the
petition is submitted for signature verification and that the signature on file at the time the petition is
reviewed is the signature that must be used in verifying the signature on the petition. For signatures on
VBM ballots, provisional ballots, or petitions that require secondary or tertiary review, the bill permits
older signatures from previous registration updates to be used.
The bill specifies formal signature matching training is mandatory for supervisors and CCB members
and requires any person who verifies signatures to undergo signature matching training. The bill
requires DOS to adopt rules governing signature matching procedures and training.
County Canvassing Boards
Background
The CCB is the body that tabulates and canvasses the vote for an election in that county. The CCB is
composed of the supervisor, the chair of the board of county commissioners, and a county court judge,
who serves as chair.13 If a member of the CCB is unable to serve, he or she can be replaced in one of
two ways, either permanently, through the appointment of a substitute member, or temporarily, through
the appointment and selection of an alternate member. 14 Alternate members must be appointed
pursuant to a statutory process; however, current law does not specify how many alternate members
may be appointed.15
CCBs are also responsible for filing the county returns for the election of a federal or state officer with
DOS immediately after certification of the election results.16 The CCB must provide a certification that
the board has compared the number of persons who voted with the number of ballots counted and that
the certification includes all valid votes cast in the election. 17 The CCB must file the returns with DOS
by 5 p.m. on the seventh day following a primary election and by noon on the 12 th day following the
general election.18
Additionally, at the same time that the official results of an election are certified to DOS, the CCB must
file a report with the Division of Elections (division) within DOS on the conduct of the election. 19 The
report must include certain information, including all ballot printing errors or ballot supply problems, as
well as the steps that were taken to address the errors or problems.20
The division must then utilize these reports to determine what problems may be likely to occur in other
elections and provide such information and possible solutions to supervisors. 21
Effect of the Bill
The bill specifies that at least two alternate CCB members must be appointed.
The bill revises the deadline for returns to be filed with DOS from 5 p.m. on the seventh day following a
primary election to noon on the eighth day following the primary election. For returns following a
13 Section 102.141(1), F.S.
14 Section 102.141(1)(e), F.S.
15 See s. 102.141 for the process of appointing alternate members.
16 Section 102.112(1), F.S.
17 Id.
18 Section 102.112(2), F.S.
19 Section 102.141(10)(a), F.S.
20 Id.
21 Section 102.141(10)(c), F.S.
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 general election, the bill revises the submission deadline from noon on the 12 th day following the
general election to noon on the 13th day.
The bill provides that supervisors, rather than CCBs, file the report on the conduct of the election and
provides that such report must be filed no later than 20 business days after the Elections Canvassing
Commission certifies the election instead of at the same time the official election results are certified to
DOS. The bill also requires the report to address VBM ballot mailing errors and requires the division to
specifically review the conduct of election reports and provide training to the supervisors based on such
reports. The division must submit the analysis of these reports for the general election to the Governor
and Legislature by February 15 of each year following the general election.
Special Requirements for Certain First-Time Voters
Background
Current law requires applicants who register by mail who have never voted in Florida and have been
verified by DOS as not having been issued a current and valid Florida driver license, Florida
identification card, or social security number to provide a copy of current and valid identification 22 or
indicate an exemption23 from such identification requirements prior to voting.24 Such identification or
exemption may be provided at the time of registering or at any time prior to voting for the first time in
Florida.25
Current law also provides a process for delivery of special VBM ballots for such first-time voters who
have not provided the required identification or certification by the time the VBM ballot is mailed. 26
Supervisors must enclose with such VBM ballot three envelopes: a secrecy envelope, an envelope
containing a Voter’s Certificate, and a mailing envelope in which the absent elector 27 must place the
envelope containing the Voter’s Certificate and copy of the identification the voter is required to provide
if the voter does not meet one of the statutorily authorized exemptions from the identification
requirements.28 When the supervisor receives the voted special VBM ballot, he or she must determine
if the voter has enclosed the identification required or has indicated on the Voter’s Certificate an
exemption from the identification requirements.29 If the identification is enclosed or an exemption is
indicated, the supervisor must proceed to canvass the VBM ballot. 30 If the identification is not enclosed
and no exemption is indicated, the supervisor must check the voter registration records to determine if
the voter’s identification was previously received or the voter had previously provided notification of
exemption.31 If not, the ballot must be treated as a provisional ballot until 7 p.m. on election day and
may not be canvassed unless the supervisor has received the voter’s identification or written indication
of exemption by 7 p.m. on election day.32
Effect of the Bill
If a special VBM ballot has been received and identification is not received and no exemption is
indicated, the bill provides that the absent elector has until 5 p.m. local time on the second day
following the election, rather than 7 p.m. on election day, to provide the required identification or written
indication of an exemption in order to have his or her ballot canvassed. The bill also requires the
instructions that accompany such ballots to inform the voter that he or she has until 5 p.m. local time on
the second day after the election to cure signature deficiencies.
22 See s. 97.0535(3), F.S., for identification that is current and valid for such purposes.
23 See s. 97.0535(4), F.S., for persons which are exempt from such identification requirements.
24 Section 97.0535(1), F.S.
25 Id.
26 Section 101.6921, F.S.
27 “Absent elector” means any registered and qualified voter who casts a VBM ballot. Section 97.021(1), F.S.
28 Sections 101.6921(2) and (3), F.S.
29 Section 101.6925(1), F.S.
30 Section 101.6925(2), F.S.
31 Section 101.6925(3), F.S.
32 Id.
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 Third-Party Voter Registration Organizations
Background
A third-party voter registration organization (3PVRO) is any person, entity, or organization soliciting or
collecting voter registration applications.33 3PVROs must register with and electronically provide to the
division certain information34 before engaging in voter registration activities.35 Current law does not
provide for the expiration of a 3PVRO.
The division or supervisors must make voter registration forms available to 3PVROs, which must
contain information identifying the organization to which the forms are provided. 36 Current law requires
the division to maintain a database37 of all 3PVROs and the voter registration forms assigned to each
respective 3PVRO.38 Supervisors must provide to the division information on voter registration forms
assigned to and received from 3PVROs.39 The division must update 3PVRO information daily and
make such information publicly available.40
3PVROs serve as a fiduciary41 to voter registration applicants when collecting42 voter registration
applications.43 3PVROs must ensure that any voter registration application entrusted to the
organization, irrespective of party affiliation, race, ethnicity, or gender, is promptly delivered to the
division or the supervisor in the county in which the applicant resides within 14 days, but not after
registration closes for the next ensuing election.44 If it fails to promptly deliver the application, the
3PVRO is liable for the following fines:
 $50 for each application received by the division or the supervisor in the county in which the
applicant resides more than 14 days after the applicant delivered the completed voter
registration application to the 3PVRO or any person, entity, or agent acting on its behalf. If the
3VPRO or one of its agents acted willfully in failing to promptly deliver the application, the fine is
increased to $250 for each application.
 $100 for each application collected by a 3PVRO or any person, entity, or agent acting on its
behalf, before book closing for any given election for federal or state office and received by the
division or the supervisor after the book closing deadline45 for such election. If the 3VPRO or
33 Section 97.021(40), F.S. This term does not include a person who seeks to only register to vote or collect voter registration
applications from that person’s spouse, child, or parent or a person engaged in registering to vote or collecting voter regis tration
applications as an employee or agent of the division, supervisor, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, or a voter
registration agency.
34 The following information must be provided to the division: the names of the officers of the organization and the name and
permanent address of the organizatio