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Florida Statutes § 98.0981 Reports; voting history; statewide voter registration system information; precinct-level election results; book closing statistics; live turnout data

Up to Chapter 98: Registration Office, Officers, and Procedures

Statute Text

(1) VOTING HISTORY AND STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM INFORMATION.- Each supervisor shall submit the reports required by this subsection to the department no later than 10 business days after the Elections Canvassing Commission certifies the results of an election.
(a) Reconciliation.-For each presidential preference primary election, special primary election, special election, primary election, and general election, the supervisor shall reconcile the aggregate total of ballots cast in each precinct to the aggregate number of voters with voter history pursuant to paragraph (b) and the precinct-level election results pursuant to subsection (3) and submit a reconciliation report. The report must be submitted to the department in an electronic format pursuant to file format and specifications set forth by rule. The report must include a written explanation if the reconciliation results in a discrepancy between the voter history and the election results.
(b) Voting history.-For each [Within 30 days after certification by the Elections Canvassing Commission of a] presidential preference primary, special election, special primary election, primary election, or general election, as applicable, supervisors of elections shall transmit completely updated voting history information for each qualified voter to the department . Such information must be provided [,] in a uniform electronic format pursuant to file specifications adopted by the department by rule. The voting history information must include: [specified in paragraph (d), completely updated voting history information for each qualified voter who voted]
1. The unique identifier assigned to each qualified voter within the statewide voter registration system.
2. Each qualified voter's unique precinct identifier, as designated by the county within the statewide voter registration system, at the time of voting. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term "unique precinct identifier" means an alphanumeric code representing the precinct name or number and containing no more than the maximum characters as specified by rule.
3. Specifics as to each qualified voter's voting history, including whether the qualified voter voted a regular ballot during the early voting period, voted during the early voting period using a provisional ballot that was subsequently counted, voted a regular ballot at a precinct location, voted at a precinct location using a provisional ballot that was subsequently counted, voted by vote-by-mail ballot, attempted to vote by a timely received vote-by-mail ballot that was not counted, attempted to vote by a vote-by-mail ballot that was received untimely, attempted to vote by provisional ballot that was not counted, or did not vote .
(c) Precinct boundaries.-For each presidential preference primary election, special primary election, special election, primary election, and general election, the supervisor shall submit to the department the geographical information system map of precinct boundaries created and maintained pursuant to s. 101.001 for the applicable election.
(2) [(b)] LEGISLATIVE REPORT.-
(a) Specifications.- [After receipt of the information in paragraph (a),] The department shall prepare an election summary compiled for a presidential preference primary election, special primary election, special election, primary election, or general election, as applicable, [a report] in an electronic format which contains the following information [, separately compiled for the primary and general election for all voters qualified to vote in either election] :
1. The voting history information as transmitted under paragraph (1)(b) and the precinct boundaries as transmitted under paragraph (1)(c). [unique identifier assigned to each qualified voter within the statewide voter registration system;]
2. All information provided by each qualified voter on his or her voter registration application pursuant to s. 97.052 (2) , except that which is confidential or exempt from public records requirements . [;]
3. Each qualified voter's date of registration . [;]
4. Each qualified voter's [current] state representative district, state senatorial district, [and] congressional district , county commission district, and school board district at the time of voting , assigned by the supervisor of elections [;]
[5. Each qualified voter's current precinct; and]
[6. Voting history as transmitted under paragraph (a) to include whether the qualified voter voted at a precinct location, voted during the early voting period, voted by vote-by-mail ballot, attempted to vote by vote-by-mail ballot that was not counted, attempted to vote by provisional ballot that was not counted, or did not vote] .
(b) [(c)] Submission.- Within 60 [45] days after [certification by] the Elections Canvassing Commission certifies [of] a presidential preference primary, special election, primary election, or general election, the department shall submit [send] to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House Minority Leader an election summary [a] report in electronic format that includes all information set forth in paragraph (a) [(b)] .
[(d) File specifications are as follows:]
[1. The file shall contain records designated by the categories below for all qualified voters who, regardless of the voter's county of residence or active or inactive registration status at the book closing for the corresponding election that the file is being created for:]
[a. Voted a regular ballot at a precinct location.]
[b. Voted at a precinct location using a provisional ballot that was subsequently counted.]
[c. Voted a regular ballot during the early voting period.]
[d. Voted during the early voting period using a provisional ballot that was subsequently counted.]
[e. Voted by vote-by-mail ballot.]
[f. Attempted to vote by vote-by-mail ballot, but the ballot was not counted.]
[g. Attempted to vote by provisional ballot, but the ballot was not counted in that election.]
[2. Each file shall be created or converted into a tab-delimited format.]
[3. File names shall adhere to the following convention:]
[a. Three-character county identifier as established by the department followed by an underscore.]
[b. Followed by four-character file type identifier of "VHO3" followed by an underscore.]
[c. Followed by FVRS election ID followed by an underscore.]
[d. Followed by Date Created followed by an underscore.]
[e. Date format is YYYYMMDD.]
[f. Followed by Time Created - HHMMSS.]
[g. Followed by ".txt".]
[4. Each record shall contain the following columns: Record Identifier, FVRS Voter ID Number, FVRS Election ID Number, Vote Date, Vote History Code, Precinct, Congressional District, House District, Senate District, County Commission District, and School Board District.]
[(e) Each supervisor of elections shall reconcile, before submission, the aggregate total of ballots cast in each precinct as reported in the precinct-level election results to the aggregate total number of voters with voter history for the election for each district.]
[(f) Each supervisor of elections shall submit the results of the data reconciliation as described in paragraph (e) to the department in an electronic format and give a written explanation for any precincts where the reconciliation as described in paragraph (e) results in a discrepancy between the voter history and the election results.]
(3) [(2)] PRECINCT-LEVEL ELECTION RESULTS.-
(a)
1. Within 10 business [30] days after [certification by] the Elections Canvassing Commission certifies [of] a presidential preference primary election, special election, special primary election, primary election, or general election, as applicable, the supervisors of elections shall collect and submit to the department precinct-level election results for the election in a uniform electronic format specified by paragraph (c). [The precinct-level election results shall be compiled separately for the primary or special primary election that preceded the general or special general election, respectively.] The results must [shall] specifically include for each precinct the total of all ballots cast for each candidate or nominee to fill a national, state, county, or district office or proposed constitutional amendment, with subtotals for each candidate and ballot type. When one or more ballot types, also known as counting groups, in a race or an issue have fewer than 30 voters voting on the ballot, the ballot type must be reported as zero except for the total votes counting group for that precinct. Ballot types or counting groups include election day, early voting, vote-by-mail, provisional voting, and total votes [However, ballot type or precinct subtotals in a race or question having fewer than 30 voters voting on the ballot type or in the precinct may not be reported in precinct results] . For purposes of this paragraph, the term "all ballots cast" means ballots cast by voters who cast a ballot , whether at a precinct location ; [,] by vote-by-mail ballot , including overseas vote-by-mail ballots ; [,] during the early voting period ; [,] or by provisional ballot.
2. Upon request from the department, a supervisor must research and address, as appropriate, any questions or issues identified by the department pertaining to the precinct-level election results. If the information as originally submitted is changed or corrected, the supervisor must provide an amended precinct-level election results file no later than 10 business days after the request from the department.
(b) The department shall make such information available online no later than 60 days after the Elections Canvassing Commission certifies the presidential preference primary election, special primary election, special election, primary election, or general election, as applicable. The website containing the information must include [on a searchable, sortable, and downloadable database via its website that also includes] the file layout and codes. The information must [database shall] be searchable and sortable by county, precinct, and candidate ; [. The] must [database shall] be downloadable in a tab-delimited format ; and must [. The database shall] be available for download county-by-county [and also as a statewide file. Such report shall also be made available upon request] .
(c) The files containing the precinct-level election results must [shall] be created in accordance with the applicable file specification as set forth by rule. The rule must, at a minimum, provide that [:] [1. The precinct-level results file shall be created or converted into a tab-delimited text file.] [2. The row immediately before the first data record shall contain the column names of the data elements that make up the data records. There shall be one header record followed by multiple data records.] [3.] the data records [shall] include the following columns: County Name, Election Number, Election Date, Unique Precinct Identifier, Precinct Polling Location, Total Registered Voters, Total Registered Republicans, Total Registered Democrats, Total Registered All Other Parties, Contest Name, Candidate/Retention/Issue Name, Candidate Florida Voter Registration System ID Number, Division of Elections Unique Candidate Identifying Number, Candidate Party, District, Undervote Total, Overvote Total, Write-in Total, and Vote Total. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "unique precinct identifier" means an alphanumeric code representing the precinct name or number and containing no more than the maximum characters as specified by rule.
(4) [(3)] PRECINCT-LEVEL BOOK CLOSING STATISTICS.- No later than 10 days after the date of book closing for [but before the date of] an election as defined in s. 97.021 to fill a national, state, county, or district office, or to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment, the department shall compile and make available the following precinct-level statistical data for each county:
(a) Unique precinct identifier [numbers] . For purposes of this subsection, the term "unique precinct identifier" means an alphanumeric code representing the precinct name or number and containing no more than the maximum characters as specified by rule.
(b) Total number of active registered voters by party for each precinct.
(5) [(4)] LIVE TURNOUT DATA.-On election day, each supervisor of elections shall make live voter turnout data, updated at least once per hour, available on his or her website. Each supervisor shall transmit the live voter turnout data to the division, which must create and maintain a real-time statewide turnout dashboard that is available for viewing by the public on the division's website as the data becomes available.
(6) [(5)] REPORTS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.-The department shall also make publicly available the reports and results required in subsections (1)-(4) [(1)-(3)] .
(7) [(6)] RULEMAKING.-The department shall adopt rules and prescribe forms to carry out the purposes of this section.

History

Amended by 2023 Fla. Laws, ch. 120 , s 12 , eff. 7/1/2023 .

Amended by 2021 Fla. Laws, ch. 11 , s 10 , eff. 5/6/2021 .

Amended by 2019 Fla. Laws, ch. 162 , s 4 , eff. 7/1/2019 .

Amended by 2016 Fla. Laws, ch. 37 , s 6 , eff. 7/1/2016 .

s. 25 , ch. 2005 - 278 ; s. 8 , ch. 2008 - 95 ; s. 3 , ch. 2010 - 167 ; s. 11 , ch. 2011 - 40 .

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