THE BILL ITSELF
HB 985
Voter Registration and Identification
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to voter registration and
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identification; amending s. 97.053, F.S.; requiring
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the supervisor of elections to verify an applicant's
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citizenship status under certain circumstances and
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refer certain matters to the Office of Election Crimes
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and Security; amending s. 98.045, F.S.; providing
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certain action is considered a written request from a
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voter to have his or her name removed from the
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statewide voter registration system; amending s.
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101.043, F.S.; revising identifications accepted at
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polling places; requiring that certain electors show a
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Florida identification card upon entering the polling
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place; providing that certain noncitizens may vote a
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provisional ballot; amending s. 101.62, F.S.;
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requiring the supervisor of elections to verify
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certain information upon receiving a request for a
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vote-by-mail ballot; amending s. 322.141, F.S.;
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requiring certain licenses and identification cards to
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denote certain persons as noncitizens; providing an
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effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsection (6) of section 97.053, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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97.053 Acceptance of voter registration applications.—
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(6)(a) A voter registration application, including an
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application with a change in name, address, driver license
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number, or party affiliation, may be accepted as valid only
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after the department has verified the authenticity or
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nonexistence of the driver license number, the Florida
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identification card number, or the last four digits of the
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social security number provided by the applicant.
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1. If the applicant completes a voter registration
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application using a driver license number or Florida
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identification card number, the supervisor of elections shall
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verify that the driver license number or Florida identification
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card number is classified as that of a United States citizen in
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the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records. If
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the applicant is not classified as a United States citizen in
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such records, the applicant shall provide proof of citizenship.
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2. If the applicant completes a voter registration
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application using a the last four digits of his or her social
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security number, the supervisor shall verify the applicant's
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citizenship status using the Systematic Alien Verification for
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Entitlements Program established by the United States Bureau of
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Citizenship and Immigration Services. If the applicant's
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citizenship status cannot be verified, the applicant shall
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provide proof of citizenship.
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3. If the supervisor of elections determines that false
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affirmations have been made on a voter registration application,
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the matter must be referred to the Office of Election Crimes and
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Security.
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(b) If a completed voter registration application has been
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received by the book-closing deadline but the driver license
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number, the Florida identification card number, or the last four
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digits of the social security number provided by the applicant
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cannot be verified, the applicant shall be notified that the
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number cannot be verified and that the applicant must provide
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evidence to the supervisor sufficient to verify the authenticity
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of the applicant's driver license number, Florida identification
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card number, or last four digits of the social security number.
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If the applicant provides the necessary evidence, the supervisor
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shall place the applicant's name on the registration rolls as an
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active voter. If the applicant has not provided the necessary
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evidence or the number has not otherwise been verified prior to
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the applicant presenting himself or herself to vote, the
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applicant shall be provided a provisional ballot. The
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provisional ballot shall be counted only if the number is
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verified by the end of the canvassing period or if the applicant
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presents evidence to the supervisor of elections sufficient to
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verify the authenticity of the applicant's driver license
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number, Florida identification card number, or last four digits
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of the social security number no later than 5 p.m. of the second
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day following the election.
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Section 2. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (2) of
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section 98.045, Florida Statutes, to read:
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98.045 Administration of voter registration.—
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(2) REMOVAL OF REGISTERED VOTERS.—
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(c) Information received from the Department of Highway
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Safety and Motor Vehicles indicating that a registered voter in
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the state has obtained a driver license in another state shall
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be considered a written request from the voter to have his or
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her name removed from the statewide voter registration system.
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Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 101.043, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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101.043 Identification required at polls.—
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(1)(a) The precinct register, as prescribed in s. 98.461,
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shall be used at the polls for the purpose of identifying the
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elector at the polls before allowing him or her to vote. The
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clerk or inspector shall require each elector, upon entering the
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polling place, to present one of the following current and valid
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picture identifications:
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1. Florida driver license.
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2. Florida identification card issued by the Department of
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Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
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3. United States passport.
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4. Debit or credit card.
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5. Military identification.
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6. Student identification.
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7. Retirement center identification.
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8. Neighborhood association identification.
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6.9. Public assistance identification.
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7.10. Veteran health identification card issued by the
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United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
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8.11. A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm
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issued pursuant to s. 790.06.
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9.12. Employee identification card issued by any branch,
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department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the
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state, a county, or a municipality.
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If an elector used a Florida identification card in his or her
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voter registration application, he or she must present his or
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her Florida identification card upon entering the polling place.
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(b) If the picture identification does not contain the
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signature of the elector, an additional identification that
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provides the elector's signature shall be required. The address
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appearing on the identification presented by the elector may not
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be used as the basis to challenge an elector's legal residence.
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The elector shall sign his or her name in the space provided on
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the precinct register or on an electronic device provided for
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recording the elector's signature. The clerk or inspector shall
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compare the signature with that on the identification provided
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by the elector and enter his or her initials in the space
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provided on the precinct register or on an electronic device
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provided for that purpose and allow the elector to vote if the
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clerk or inspector is satisfied as to the identity of the
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elector.
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(2) If the elector fails to furnish the required
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identification or if the identification provided denotes the
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elector as a noncitizen pursuant to s. 322.141(5), the elector
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shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. The canvassing
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board shall determine the validity of the ballot pursuant to s.
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101.048(2).
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Section 4. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (1) of
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section 101.62, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as paragraphs
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(d) and (e), respectively, and a new paragraph (c) is added to
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that subsection, to read:
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101.62 Request for vote-by-mail ballots.—
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(1) REQUEST.—
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(c) Upon receiving a request for a vote-by-mail ballot, if
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the voter is registered using a Florida identification card, the
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supervisor of elections shall verify with the Department of
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Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that:
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1. The registration and mailing address are complete and
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current. If the address is not complete or current, the voter
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must update his or her registration address or vote in person.
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2. The voter is a United States citizen. If the voter's
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citizenship status cannot be verified, he or she must provide
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proof of citizenship before voting or being issued an absentee
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ballot.
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3. The voter's Florida identification card is not
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classified as surrendered because he or she obtained an
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identification card in a new state.
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Section 5. Subsection (5) is added to section 322.141,
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Florida Statutes, to read:
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322.141 Color or markings of certain licenses or
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identification cards.—
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(5) All licenses for the operation of motor vehicles or
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identification cards originally issued or reissued by the
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department to persons who are not citizens of the United States
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shall have on the front of the license or identification card
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"NC" to denote that such person is a noncitizen. For the
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purposes of this section, submission of any of the following
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documents is considered proof that such person is a noncitizen:
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(a) Documents listed in s. 322.08(2)(c)5., 7., or 8.
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(b) Documents listed in s. 322.051(1)(a)3.e., g., or h.
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(c) A Type 2 or Type 3 social security card.
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Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.