Florida Set To Revamp Election Laws, Easing Campaign Finance Reporting

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Florida lawmakers are set to pass a bill that would revamp the state's election laws making campaign finance reporting easier and could allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president while maintaining his post.

Florida lawmakers introduce a bill to revamp the state's election laws
The proposals ease campaign finance reporting
The revamps could also allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president while maintaining his position in the state

Florida lawmakers are set to revamp the state's election laws to make campaign finance reporting easier and allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president while maintaining his current position.

The 98-page comprehensive elections bill that was recently revealed includes a provision that was designed to undercut legal arguments that were made by people who were charged amid a crackdown on voter fraud last August.

Florida to Revamp State Election Laws

DeSantis spearheaded that particular endeavor, and the recent bill revamps campaign finance deadlines and speeds up when local officials must scrub voter rolls for deceased and ineligible voters. It also increases the fines given to voter registration groups if they are found to have broken the law.

While the last two elections in Florida have run their course without any issues, this is the third year in a row that state legislators have advocated a long line of changes. In a statement, Sen. Danny Burgess said it is critical to continue safeguarding against abuse and make process improvements wherever possible, as per Politico.

The Republican added that such efforts would ensure they can continue to maintain the integrity of free and fair elections, which he called a cornerstone of the country's democracy. The new legislation does not address Florida's resign-to-run law, despite GOP legislative leaders saying they were willing to change the law so that DeSantis can keep his gubernatorial position should he become the Republican presidential nominee.

However, Democratic lawmakers reacted sharply and immediately opposed the bill released only one day before it was scheduled for its first vote in the state Senate. House Speaker Paul Renner said he was expecting his chamber to push through with the elections reform despite the House still needing to release a similar bill.

Making It Harder for Voters to Vote

Rep. Anna Eskamani said it was absurd to drop a 98-page election bill with only 24 hours left before its first hearing. She added that it is also undemocratic and was designed to avoid public scrutiny of the bill.

The bill includes a change that would help prevent another "ghost candidate" scandal by requiring an incumbent in a race to have an "incumbent" mark written next to their name on a ballot. Currently, laws only require that designation when two or more candidates running for the same office have the same or similar surnames, according to Florida Politics.

The proposed revamps would also shorten the timeframe from 14 days to 10 days for the groups to deliver voter registration applications to election officials. It also deals with voter address changes, the authority of the state's Office of Election Crimes and Security, and requests for vote-by-mail ballots.

Furthermore, the bill seeks to help protect election workers as a Senate staff analysis said that current law does not include a specific criminal penalty for threatening or harassing election workers, said WUSF Public Media.