House Bill 1355 Elections Law

House Bill 1355 was an omnibus elections bill that contained numerous changes to Florida elections laws. It was passed by the Legislature during the 2011 legislative session and was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott.

The provisions of the law include placing new reporting requirements on third-party voter registration organizations, which subject groups such as the League of Women Voters of Florida to fines if they do not turn in completed voter registration forms within 48 hours. The law requires groups that register voters to sign up with the state and list officers and the names and addresses of all members who will be registering voters. It requires anyone who is registering voters to swear an oath to uphold state election laws. The law also shortens the number of days allowed for early voting from 14 to 8. The law prohibits voters who live outside the county in which they are registered from changing their address at the polls and requires that these voters cast a provisional ballot.

The League worked hard to defeat this legislation and remains strongly opposed to the provisions of the new law. The League participated in press events and prepped members of both the House and Senate with questions and talking points for debate. The League was successful in helping mount a spirited debate in the House with an eye toward laying the groundwork for a future legal challenge to the third-party voter registration section of the law. The League successfully challenged similar legislation that was passed in 2005.

TAKE ACTION

SEND a letter-to-the-editor to your local news outlet expressing your opposition to the new elections law. 

DONATE to the League of Women Voters of Florida Advocacy Fund to help us bolster for litigation against the elections overhaul.

USEFUL RESOURCES

For more information on the elections law, check out our PowerPoint presentation "Suppressing the Vote: What Concerned Citizens Need to Know About Florida's New Elections Law" and corresponding FAQ handout. If you are a member of our Speakers Bureau and would like original files, please contact us.