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Florida Statute 97.53 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
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The 2024 Florida Statutes (including 2025 Special Session C)

Title IX
ELECTORS AND ELECTIONS
Chapter 97
QUALIFICATION AND REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS
View Entire Chapter
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 CourtListener

Amendments to 97.053


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 97.053

Total Results: 8

Florida State Conference of the National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Browning

522 F.3d 1153, 2008 WL 880569

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Apr 3, 2008 | Docket: 1552631

Cited 105 times | Published

statute challenged in this case, Florida Statutes § 97.053(6) (“Subsection 6”), was enacted by the Florida

League of Women Voters of Florida v. Cobb

447 F. Supp. 2d 1314, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61070, 2006 WL 2544683

District Court, S.D. Florida | Filed: Aug 28, 2006 | Docket: 2370636

Cited 16 times | Published

an armed forces recruitment office." Fla. Stat. § 97.053(1). After a voter registration application is

Smith v. Crane Cams, Inc.

418 So. 2d 1266

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 8, 1982 | Docket: 1686127

Cited 9 times | Published

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

Diaz v. Cobb

541 F. Supp. 2d 1319, 56 A.L.R. 6th 815, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27361, 2008 WL 793584

District Court, S.D. Florida | Filed: Mar 25, 2008 | Docket: 2132931

Cited 6 times | Published

libraries, and armed forces recruitment offices. § 97.053(1), Fla. Stat. (2007). Election officials continually

Florida State Conference of the National Ass'n v. Browning

569 F. Supp. 2d 1237, 48 A.L.R. 6th 613, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62723, 2008 WL 2567204

District Court, N.D. Florida | Filed: Jun 24, 2008 | Docket: 84191

Cited 2 times | Published

on their voter registration applications. See § 97.053(5)(a)5., Fla. Stat. (2007); cf. 42 U.S.C. § 15483(a)(5)(A)(i)

The State of Florida v. Ronald Lee Miller

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 17, 2024 | Docket: 68950661

Published

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

Diaz v. Cobb

475 F. Supp. 2d 1270, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13371, 2007 WL 603053

District Court, S.D. Florida | Filed: Feb 27, 2007 | Docket: 2381359

Published

into the voter registration system. Fla. Stat. § 97.053(7) (2006).

Larke v. City of Fort Lauderdale

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

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 9, 1990 | Docket: 64653742

Published

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