Title: Online Voter Registration of Students in Public High School

Summary: Requiring each public high school to provide to certain students a voter registration presentation that demonstrates the steps required to register to vote online and offers an opportunity for certain students to register or preregister to vote using the online voter registration system Internet website; requiring the Division of Elections to prepare certain materials and make such materials readily available to each public high school; prohibiting a teacher from requiring, pressuring, or otherwise incentivizing a student to take certain actions, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to online voter registration of students in public high school; creating s. 97.05832, F.S.; requiring each public high school to provide to certain students a voter registration presentation that demonstrates the steps required to register to vote online and offers an opportunity for certain students to register or preregister to vote using the online voter registration system Internet website; requiring the Division of Elections to prepare certain materials and make such materials readily available to each public high school; authorizing the Department of State to adopt rules; creating s. 1003.4661, F.S.; requiring each public high school to provide to certain students a voter registration presentation; providing requirements for the presentation; requiring each public high school, and each public high school s principal, or his or her designee, to provide certain notice of the presentation; prohibiting a teacher from requiring, pressuring, or otherwise incentivizing a student to take certain actions; requiring teachers to allow students to opt out of the presentation; requiring teachers to use certain materials; prohibiting teachers presenting the voter registration presentation from distributing, collecting, or otherwise handling physical voter registration applications; requiring certain voter registration and preregistration to occur online; authorizing the State Board of Education to adopt rules; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Section 97.05832, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 97.05832   Online voter registration in public high school government classes.  (1)   Each public high school shall provide to each student taking the United States Government course required under s. 1003.4282(3)(d) a voter registration presentation that consists exclusively of a demonstration of the steps required to register to vote online, including a visual demonstration of how to use the online voter registration system Internet website created pursuant to s. 97.0525(2), and an opportunity for each student age years or older to register or preregister to vote, as applicable, using such Internet website in accordance with s. 1003.4661. (2)   The Division of Elections shall prepare all materials necessary for the presentation required by subsection (1), including an instructional guide and a document entitled  Frequently Asked Questions and Answers  for teacher use, and shall make such materials readily available to each public high school. The division shall provide translations of all materials for use in ESOL, as defined in s. 1003.56(2)(c), and home language, as defined in s. 1003.56(2)(b), instruction. (3)   The department may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. Section 2. Section 1003.4661, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 1003.4661   Online voter registration in public high school government classes.  (1)   Each public high school shall provide to each student taking the United States Government course required under s. 1003.4282(3)(d) the voter registration presentation required under s. 97.05832. The presentation must be presented in a location that provides each student with a separate computer with Internet access. A student may be directed to the Department of State s accessibility Internet website if an available file viewer is necessary for such student to use the online voter registration system Internet website created pursuant to s. 97.0525(2). (2)   Each public high school shall provide to each student taking the United States Government course required under s. 1003.4282(3)(d) notice through the school s online communication system of the voter registration presentation days before, with reminder notices provided and days before, the presentation occurs. Additionally, each public high school principal, or his or her designee, shall provide reasonable notice of the presentation to students and their parents through e-mail and telephone messages. Each notice provided pursuant to this subsection must identify any information that may be necessary to register or preregister to vote using the online voter registration system Internet website, including, but not limited to, the last four digits of the student s social security number and the student s current and valid Florida driver license number or identification number from a Florida identification card issued under s. 322.051. (3)   A teacher may not require, pressure, or otherwise incentivize a student to register or preregister to vote or to designate a political party affiliation and shall allow each student to register or preregister to vote using the online voter registration system Internet website without interference. Each student must be allowed to opt out of the voter registration presentation. (4)   A teacher presenting the voter registration presentation shall use the materials provided by the Division of Elections pursuant to s. 97.05832(2) and may not supplement such materials or deviate from the language provided by the division in such materials. (5)   All voter registration and preregistration conducted pursuant to this section must occur online. A teacher presenting the voter registration presentation may not distribute, collect, or otherwise handle physical voter registration applications. (6)   The State Board of Education may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.