Florida Statute 97.053 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research

The 2024 Florida Statutes

Title IX
ELECTORS AND ELECTIONS

Chapter 97
QUALIFICATION AND REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS

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F.S. 97.053

97.053 Acceptance of voter registration applications.—

(1) Voter registration applications, changes in registration, and requests for a replacement voter information card must be accepted in the office of any supervisor, the division, a driver license office, a voter registration agency, or an armed forces recruitment office when hand delivered by the applicant or a third party during the hours that office is open or when mailed.

(2) A voter registration application is complete and becomes the official voter registration record of that applicant when all information necessary to establish the applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041 is received by a voter registration official and verified pursuant to subsection (6). If the applicant fails to complete his or her voter registration application prior to the date of book closing for an election, then such applicant shall not be eligible to vote in that election.

(3) The registration date for a valid initial voter registration application that has been hand delivered is the date that the application is received by a driver license office, a voter registration agency, an armed forces recruitment office, the division, or the office of any supervisor in the state.

(4) The registration date for a valid initial voter registration application that has been mailed to a driver license office, a voter registration agency, an armed forces recruitment office, the division, or the office of any supervisor in the state and bears a clear postmark is the date of that postmark. If an initial voter registration application that has been mailed does not bear a postmark or if the postmark is unclear, the registration date is the date the application is received by any supervisor or the division, unless it is received within 5 days after the closing of the books for an election, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, in which case the registration date is the book-closing date.

(5)(a) A voter registration application is complete if it contains the following information necessary to establish the applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041, including:

1. The applicant’s name.

2. The applicant’s address of legal residence, including a distinguishing apartment, suite, lot, room, or dormitory room number or other identifier, if appropriate. Failure to include a distinguishing apartment, suite, lot, room, or dormitory room or other identifier on a voter registration application does not impact a voter’s eligibility to register to vote or cast a ballot, and such an omission may not serve as the basis for a challenge to a voter’s eligibility or reason to not count a ballot.

3. The applicant’s date of birth.

4. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant is a citizen of the United States.

5.a. The applicant’s current and valid Florida driver license number or the identification number from a Florida identification card issued under s. 322.051, or

b. If the applicant has not been issued a current and valid Florida driver license or a Florida identification card, the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number.

In case an applicant has not been issued a current and valid Florida driver license, Florida identification card, or social security number, the applicant shall affirm this fact in the manner prescribed in the uniform statewide voter registration application.

6. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant has not been convicted of a felony or that, if convicted, has had his or her voting rights restored.

7. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant has not been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting or that, if so adjudicated, has had his or her right to vote restored.

8. The original signature or a digital signature transmitted by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of the applicant swearing or affirming under the penalty for false swearing pursuant to s. 104.011 that the information contained in the registration application is true and subscribing to the oath required by s. 3, Art. VI of the State Constitution and s. 97.051.

(b) An applicant who fails to designate party affiliation must be registered without party affiliation, except that the party affiliation of an applicant who is updating a voter registration record may not be changed unless the applicant designates and consents in writing to a change in party affiliation. The supervisor must notify the voter by mail that the voter has been registered without party affiliation and that the voter may change party affiliation as provided in s. 97.1031.

(6) A voter registration application, including an application with a change in name, address, or party affiliation, may be accepted as valid only after the department has verified the authenticity or nonexistence of the driver license number, the Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the social security number provided by the applicant. If a completed voter registration application has been received by the book-closing deadline but the driver license number, the Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the social security number provided by the applicant cannot be verified, the applicant shall be notified that the number cannot be verified and that the applicant must provide evidence to the supervisor sufficient to verify the authenticity of the applicant’s driver license number, Florida identification card number, or last four digits of the social security number. If the applicant provides the necessary evidence, the supervisor shall place the applicant’s name on the registration rolls as an active voter. If the applicant has not provided the necessary evidence or the number has not otherwise been verified prior to the applicant presenting himself or herself to vote, the applicant shall be provided a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot shall be counted only if the number is verified by the end of the canvassing period or if the applicant presents evidence to the supervisor of elections sufficient to verify the authenticity of the applicant’s driver license number, Florida identification card number, or last four digits of the social security number no later than 5 p.m. of the second day following the election.

(7) All voter registration applications received by a voter registration official shall be entered into the statewide voter registration system within 13 days after receipt. Once entered, the application shall be immediately forwarded to the appropriate supervisor of elections.

History.—s. 11, ch. 94-224; s. 27, ch. 97-13; s. 5, ch. 98-129; s. 4, ch. 2003-415; s. 5, ch. 2005-277; s. 6, ch. 2005-278; s. 13, ch. 2007-30; s. 3, ch. 2008-95; s. 2, ch. 2016-23; s. 22, ch. 2019-162; s. 15, ch. 2020-2; s. 5, ch. 2021-11; s. 1, ch. 2024-78.

F.S. 97.053 on Google Scholar

F.S. 97.053 on Casetext

Amendments to 97.053

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 97.053

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 97.053.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 97.053

Total Results: 20

The State of Florida v. Ronald Lee Miller

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2024-07-17T00:00:00-07:00

Snippet: transaction to allow Miller to register to vote. See § 97.053(2), Fla. Stat. (“A voter registration application

Ago

Court: Fla. Att'y Gen. | Date Filed: 2009-10-13T00:53:00-07:00

Snippet: municipal charter) and Op. Att'y Gen. Fla. 97-53 (1997) (city commission may not delegate its canvassing

Ago

Court: Fla. Att'y Gen. | Date Filed: 2008-07-23T00:53:00-07:00

Snippet: purpose. More recently, in Attorney General Opinion 97-53, this office concluded that a city commission could

Ago

Court: Fla. Att'y Gen. | Date Filed: 2007-09-24T00:53:00-07:00

Snippet: municipal charter) and Op. Att'y Gen. Fla. 97-53 (1997) (city commission may not delegate its canvassing

Ago

Court: Fla. Att'y Gen. | Date Filed: 2003-07-31T00:53:00-07:00

Snippet: purpose. More recently, in Attorney General Opinion 97-53 this office concluded that a city commission could

Ago

Court: Fla. Att'y Gen. | Date Filed: 2001-02-27T23:53:00-08:00

Snippet: purpose. More recently, in Attorney General Opinion 97-53 this office concluded that a city commission could

Page v. State

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1997-02-05T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 687 So. 2d 1357

Snippet: 1337, 1339-40 (Fla.1981). Affirmed. No. 97-53 District Court of Appeal of Florida fladistctapp

Crocker v. Diland Corp.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1992-01-30T23:53:00-08:00

Citation: 593 So. 2d 1096

Snippet: Heathcote v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co., 60 Fla. 97, 53 So. 950 (1910). The demurrer was renamed "

Larke v. City of Fort Lauderdale

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1990-02-09T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 568 So. 2d 58, 1990 Fla. App. LEXIS 864, 1990 WL 10893

Snippet: See 4 Larson, The Law of Workmen’s Compensation § 97.53, at 18-122-23 (1989); Bair v. Blue Ribbon, Inc.,

Georgia Pacific Corp. v. Beswick International, Inc.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1983-03-09T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 429 So. 2d 346

Snippet: Georgia Pacific Corporation in the amount of $32,097.53. No. 82-1048 District Court of Appeal

Smith v. Crane Cams, Inc.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1982-09-08T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 418 So. 2d 1266

Snippet: to that of Florida's. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-53(13). [4] We have not overlooked the fact that there

Wagner v. Nova University, Inc.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1981-04-14T23:53:00-08:00

Citation: 397 So. 2d 375

Snippet: Johnson v. Manhattan Ry. Co., 289 U.S. 479, 496-97, 53 S.Ct. 721, 728, 77 L.Ed. 1331 (1933) (footnote

Poneleit v. Reksmad

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1977-05-27T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 346 So. 2d 615

Snippet: Heathcote v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co., 60 Fla. 97, 53 So. 950 (1910). In essence, the jury concluded

Rothstein v. Forty-Five, Twenty-Five, Inc.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1962-10-16T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 145 So. 2d 565

Snippet: Heathcote *568v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co., 60 Fla. 97, 53 South. 950.” In our opinion, the note in question

Hernandez v. Pensacola Coach Corp.

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 1940-01-23T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 193 So. 555, 141 Fla. 441

Snippet: Heathcote v. Fairbanks, Morse *Page 445 Co., 60 Fla. 97, 53 So. 950. The sufficiency of the declaration should

McComb v. Hygeia Coca-Cola Bottling Works, Inc.

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 1939-04-18T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 188 So. 219, 137 Fla. 260

Snippet: 449; Heathcote v. Fairbanks, Morse Co., 60 Fla. 97, 53 So. 950. The plaintiff is shown to have received

Norman v. Merchants & Bankers Mutual Benefit Corp.

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 1936-06-01T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 168 So. 647, 124 Fla. 436

Snippet: 449; Heathcote v. Fairbanks, Morse Co., 60 Fla. 97, 53 South. Rep. 590; Johnson v. F.E.C. Ry. Co., 66

State Ex Rel. Davidson v. Couch

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 1934-08-06T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 156 So. 297, 116 Fla. 120

Snippet: Heathcote v. Fairbanks, Morse Co., 60 Florida 97, 53 So.2d Rep. 950; Huffstetler v. Our Home Life Ins

McDonald v. Sanders

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 1931-10-14T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 137 So. 122, 103 Fla. 93

Snippet: of Heathcote v. Fairbanks, Morse Co., 60 Fla. 97, 53 So.2d 950, this Court held that: "In an

The Mortimer Company v. Fridstein

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 1931-04-01T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 133 So. 566, 101 Fla. 33

Snippet: 986; Heathcote v. Fairbanks Morse Co., 60 Fla. 97, 53 So. 590), such deficiency in the form of the demurrer