Statement by Secretary of State Ken Detzner Regarding the Department of Justice Granting Preclearance to the Constitutional Initiative Section of House Bill 1355, Relating to Florida Election Law

Tallahassee, Florida –

"I am pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice has granted preclearance to the section of Florida election law relating to constitutional initiatives. The approval means the section will now be implemented statewide. Meanwhile, we look forward to proving in federal court that the remaining sections of election law on hold in five Florida counties are also non-discriminatory."

About Section 23 of House Bill 1355, Relating to Constitutional Initiatives

Section 23 requires supervisors of elections to notify the sponsor of a citizen initiative petition proposing constitutional amendments if their petition has been misfiled. It also requires each signer’s home address to be included in a submission, and provides that a signature is valid for two years rather than four years. The changes in this section will add accountability to citizen initiative petitions. They are also expected to help ensure petition signatures remain relevant to the time in which they were provided.