TALLAHASSEE, Fla – Florida Rep. Jenna Individuals-Mulicka is pushing for stronger measures to fight poll fraud via Home Invoice 1205, laws aimed toward tightening petition assortment processes and rising penalties for violations.
“The invoice has some nice safeguards,” Individuals-Mulicka stated throughout an interview on Florida’s Voice Radio with Drew Steele. “We’ve tried to go legal guidelines to strengthen the method, and now we have, however now it’s time to take a stand and actually shut down this criminality.”
WATCH: Rep. @Jenna_Persons outlines her plan to crack down on poll fraud
“Anyone’s who’s dealing with or accumulating these initiative petitions, they need to be a U.S. citizen, they need to be a resident of the state of Florida.” pic.twitter.com/Thd0LcFUXu
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) March 6, 2025
A key provision of HB 1205 requires people dealing with or accumulating initiative petitions to be U.S. residents and Florida residents. Moreover, these with felony convictions associated to exploitation, fraud, forgery, counterfeiting, or perjury can be barred from serving as petition circulators.
“We shouldn’t let folks go on the market who’re convicted of exploitation of an aged particular person or disabled grownup, or sexual offenses or fraudulent practices,” she stated. “We have to put some parameters and take anyone with that background off the petition circulators circuit.”
The invoice additionally proposes a $1 million bond requirement for petition sponsors to make sure compliance with election legal guidelines.
Individuals-Mulicka cited ongoing investigations and fines in opposition to teams like Floridians Defending Freedom, which has already paid practically $200,000 in fines, as justification for stricter monetary accountability.
HB 1205 additional will increase penalties for petition legislation violations and provides such offenses to Florida’s racketeering statutes, giving prosecutors extra instruments to focus on fraudulent exercise.
To stop bulk identification theft in petition assortment, the invoice mandates that voters present an identification element, akin to a Florida driver’s license quantity, state ID quantity, or the final 4 digits of their Social Safety quantity.
Moreover, circulators can be required to submit signed petitions to the native supervisor of elections inside 10 days, reasonably than the present 30-day window.
“We’ve obtained to shorten it. It shouldn’t be of their palms that lengthy,” Individuals-Mulicka stated.
As soon as a petition signature is verified, election supervisors can be required to inform voters, offering particulars on when their petition was signed and verified. The notification would additionally embody info on how voters can file complaints if they believe fraud and directions on the right way to revoke their signature if they didn’t authorize it.
“This invoice is about accountability and defending the integrity of Florida’s elections,” Individuals-Mulicka stated. “We’re guaranteeing that each Floridian’s voice is heard and guarded within the democratic course of.”
HB 1205 is about to be reviewed in committee, the place lawmakers will debate its provisions and potential impression on Florida’s poll initiative system.
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