How Has Florida Improved Its Election Law
in Response to Prior Recounts?

Florida—a state that has had its fair share of election recounts. Joseph S. Van de Bogart, Esq. of Van de Bogart Law, P.A. has experienced firsthand the inconvenience caused by such events to members of the electorate and voters alike as the results of elections are held in limbo. So, how has the State of Florida taken steps to avoid the recurrence of such an event?

In 2019, as a response to the 2018 Senatorial race, Florida made improvements to its electoral procedures by amending numerous statutes to better suit the demands of its growing electorate, meet the needs of its large population, and heighten the security surrounding its citizens’ cast votes. Such improvements include:

• making formal signature matching training mandatory for supervisors of elections to better assist in the process of identifying and gathering an individual’s relevant election documents; see Fla. Stat. 97.012(17)
• adding language to accommodate for the restoration of voting rights of qualifying felons; see Fla. Stat. 97.052(t)(1-3), 98.075(f), and 98.0751
• improving the standards of the voting system’s security and increasing supervisors’ accountability by requiring documentation of physical ballots’ transportation history; see Fla. Stat. 101.015(4)(a)(1-3)
• streamlining the design of the State’s ballots; see Fla. Stat. 101.151(9)(a)(1)(a-b), (4)(b), and requiring ballots to be accessible to citizens with disabilities; see Fla. Stat. 101.56075
• requiring mail-in ballots to be served and received earlier in order to quicken the determination of election results and avoid post-election counting; see Fla. Stat. 101.62(2), (4)(b)
• requiring language on ballot envelopes clearly notifying voters of pertinent deadlines and alternative means of ballot submission; see Fla. Stat. 101.64(5), 101.65(1), (9)
• allowing the placement of secure ballot drop-off boxes in multiple convenient locations in order to ensure the timely receival of cast votes; see Fla. Stat. 101.69(2)
• broadening the required capacity of ballot recount machines to make recounts easier, more accurate and efficient; see Fla. Stat. 102.166, and
• extending the repercussions of supervisors who violate the Florida Election Code; see Fla. Stat. 104.051

Law is an adaptable system which we clarify through experience, and the State of Florida has made careful and purposeful changes to its system of electoral procedures to better prepare itself for future elections. Van de Bogart Law, P.A. has experience dealing with matters involving election law, electoral candidates, and voting procedures. If you are in need of advisement or representation for a related matter, please contact us for a consultation.

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