TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State Representative Berny Jacques, R-Seminole, filed legislation Monday aimed at tightening Florida’s voter registration process by requiring citizenship verification and new “non-citizen” markers on state-issued identification.
The bill, HB 985, seeks to reinforce the security of the state’s electoral process by ensuring only eligible Florida citizens participate in elections.
“The future of our state and our nation depends on free and secure elections,” Jacques said in a statement. “We must stay committed to safeguarding our electoral process.”
Key provisions of HB 985
The proposed legislation introduces several new mandates for state and local officials:
- Citizenship verification: Authorizes supervisors of elections to verify the citizenship status of all new voter registration applicants.
- Identification markers: Requires state-issued identification for non-citizens to feature an “NC” designation on the back of the card.
- Provisional balloting: Mandates that any individual presenting an ID with the “NC” designation at a polling place be issued a provisional ballot. The vote would be counted only after the individual provides proof of citizenship.
- Voter roll maintenance: Grants authority to remove individuals from Florida’s voter registry if they obtain a driver’s license in another state.
Legislative context
Jacques, who represents District 59, argued the bill is a necessary step to ensure “fairness and transparency” in Florida’s representation. The filing comes as Florida continues to implement some of the nation’s strictest election integrity laws.
If passed, the bill would add a new layer of coordination between the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and local supervisors of elections to maintain the accuracy of the state’s voter rolls.
A Senate version of the bill has yet to be filed. If passed, the bill would take effect July 1.
The legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 13.