ORLANDO, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a new legislative proposal that he claims will strengthen Florida’s election integrity.
The proposed legislation will be taken up during the upcoming 2022 legislative session, which begins in January.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
“We are excited to say that next legislative session we are proposing another package of election integrity reforms that will make Florida the number one state for elections,” DeSantis said.
Read: Winds bring cool air and dry conditions as temperatures drop Sunday night
The proposal includes additional steps to Florida’s election process:
- Establishing an Office of Election Crimes and Security within the Department of State to investigate election crimes and fraud.
- Elevating the crime of ballot harvesting to a third-degree felony and recognizing that this offense is a serious attack on democracy.
- Require timelines for supervisors of elections to clean the voter rolls of ineligible voters and prohibit unsecured, haphazard drop box locations in Florida.
Read: Inside the collapse of Zillow: hundreds of homes to hit Orlando market
According to a release from the governor’s office, the 2022 legislative proposal builds on election integrity legislation that was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in May 2021 through Senate Bill 90.
In 2021, DeSantis worked with the Florida Legislature to strengthen voter identification, prohibit the mass mailing of ballots, ban ballot harvesting and prohibit private money from influencing elections in Florida.
Read: Former UB40 singer Astro dies after short illness
“I am excited that with this legislation, our state will be able to enforce election violations, combat voter fraud and make sure violators are held accountable. If potential violators know they will be held accountable, they will be much less likely to engage in improper conduct in the first place,” DeSantis said.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
