8/13/2019 SOS Directive 2013 Ken Detzner

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FLORIDA EPARTMENT

RCK SCOTTGovernor

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MEMORANDUM

FROM: Ken DetznerFlorida of State

TO: Supervisors of Elections

DAE: November 25, 2013

SUBJECT: Directive 2013-01Retu of Absentee Ballots

The Division of Elections has been asked for clarication regarding the law goveing the returnof absentee ballots. The Division of Elections' Polling Place Procedures Manual directssupervisors not to accept delivery of a voted absentee ballot at a polling place by a voter whodoes not want to vote in person, but instead to instruct the voter to "take the absentee ballot to theofce of the supervisor of elections. Fla Admin CodeR 1S2034 (incorporating Form DSDE) A consistent understanding of the perinent requirements of the Election Code isessential to ensure that the casting and counting of absentee ballots is conducted in a fair, secure,ecient, and impartial manner. For that reason, I have chosen to respond to this inquiry bydirective to all supervisors of elections

In my capacity as the chief election ofcer of the State of Florida I hereby issue this directivefor the purpose of maintaining uniformity in the interpretation and implementation of Floridaelection laws. Pursuant to my authority in section 97.012(16), Florida Statutes, I provide thefollowing written direction to supervisors of elections on the perormance of their ofcial dutieswith respect to provisions of the Florida Election Code and rues goveing the retu ofabsentee ballots

The Eection Code provides voters who have requested absentee ballots with multiple options asto how they ultimately cast their votes While a voter must retu an absentee ballot to thesupervisor in order for it to be counted, a voter may instead elect to vote in person by deliveringthe absentee ballot to the voter's precinct or an early voting cite to be cancelled. 101.68,

10169, Florida Statutes (203). In order to avoid consion and ensure that every absenteevoter has the opportunity to cast his or her ballot, supervisors must understand and adhere to thelaws goveing the proper location for receipt of absentee ballots under each circumstance

1 Voters esiding a ceain facilities may also cas heir ballots rough supervise voing pusuant o secion101655, Floia Satues (2013).

. A. Gray Building South Bronough Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399Telephone: (8) 246 Facsimile: (8) 2461 w.dos.state.f.us

Commemorating 500 years o Forida histo w .fa500.com

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8/13/2019 SOS Directive 2013 Ken Detzner

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Suesos shoud no soc eu of absenee baos a any ace ohe han a suevsosofce exce fo he uose of havng he absenee baos canceed f he voe wans o voen eson A suevso of eecons cano acce devey of a maked absenee baoanwhee ohe han hs o he ofce whou voang he equemen ha suevsos "shasafey kee n hs or her ofe any enveoes eceved conanng maked baos of abseneecos " 10167, Fa Sa (2013) (emhass added); 10168 (ovdng ha he.

suevso "sha eceve he voed bao a whch me s "deemed o have been cas andha he suevso sha "safey kee "n hs o he ofce un he couny canvassng boadcanvasses he voe)

Moeove he Eecon Code decs voes who ma he absenee baos o send hose baoso he suevsos oces See 10164, Fa Sa (equng absenee bao enveoes o be"addessed o he suevso); 1016, Fa Sa (equng he absenee bao o be aced nan eneoe "whch s addessed o he suevso and eed n a mey mane "so ha can each he suevso no ae han 7 m on eecon day); 10168, Fa Sa (equng heabsenee bao o be maed o deveed "o you couny suevso of eecons) he onysaue ovdng fo he eu of a bao o a ong ace o eay vong se ohe han he

suevsos ofce s fo he uose of canceng ha baono fo he uose of casng Secon 10169, Foda Saues ovdes ha a voe who has no eed hs o he voedbao o he suevso bu deses o voe n eson may eu he bao "whehe voed ono o he voes ecnc o eay vong se whee he bao sha be maked canceed and aced wh he ohe canceed baos 10169, Fa Sa (emhass added); see DE 1307("Foda aw does no em a voe o eu he voed absenee bao o he ong aceahe han o he suevso of eecons uness he voe nends nsead o e he abseneebao o be canceed and o cas a egu bao a hs o he assgned ecnc)

An abenee bao s deemed o have been cas when s eceved by he suevso 10168,Fa Sa Ae a voed absenee bao s eceved a suevso s equed o do wo hngs: 1)

kee he bao safey n hs o he oce; and 2) deemne whehe he bao was eceved by 7m on eecon day fo o be egbe o be couned 10167, Fa Sa (equng ha baoseceved ae 7 m be "maked wh he me and dae of ece and ed n he suevsosofce bu no couned) Rece of a voed absenee bao by he suevso somewhee ohe

han he suevsos oce (eg an ey vong se ong ace o do box no whn hesuevsos ofce) endes he fome ask mossbe and undemnes he ae ask ofdeemnng whehe baos wee mey eceved

Fo he foegong easons suevsos shoud neve soc he devey of absenee baos o anyocaon ohe han he suevsos ofces Aso s ncumben uon suevsos o educaevoes egadng he oe mehod of casng absenee baos o ensue mey ece and safe

keeng

hs decve emans n effec un such me as s sueseded o evoked by subsequendecve aw o na cou ode

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