Election integrity through SAVE Act signed into Florida law

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(The Center Square) – Florida’s SAVE Act was signed into law Wednesday, cementing stronger voter identification, election protections, and candidate transparency.

Most of the main provisions of the law will be enacted in January and will not impact November’s elections, but a few parts of the law take effect before November.

Changes to candidate qualifications are effective immediately and new enforcement rules for election crimes and penalties related to foreign influence become effective in July.

That means candidates for office are now under stricter transparency guidelines with requirements to state in writing whether they intend to trade or have traded stock while serving in federal office. They must also disclose whether they have dual citizenship in another country. Candidates will also be prohibited from qualifying if they have legally changed their name within the past year.

Disclosing dual citizenship was a hotly contested issue when the bill was moving through the Legislature with some arguing candidates could be targeted based on their religion or have their loyalties questioned. Others countered the main purpose of the provision was to provide full disclosure to voters.

Other key tenants of the bill include requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship at the ballot box, stronger citizenship verification during voter registration, and stricter voter ID requirements.

The act also creates a five-year statute of limitations for prosecuting a felony violation under the Florida Election Code and prohibits political parties, committees, and organizations from accepting contributions from foreign nationals in connection with elections.

“Safeguarding the electoral process to improve oversight and prevent unlawful influence has been a top priority for my administration since my first days in office,” said second-term Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis during the bill signing. “This legislation strengthens the security, transparency, and reliability of Florida’s election system. The Florida SAVE Act builds on our historic successes by requiring the verification of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, updating identification requirements and enforcement tools, and expanding penalties for election-related violations – including foreign interference and petition-related misconduct.

"In addition, this law brings greater transparency to the candidate qualifying process by requiring all candidates in Florida to disclose dual citizenship and requiring congressional candidates to disclose stock trading activity. In Florida, we will always stand up for election integrity and hold accountable the bad actors who would subvert our electoral processes.”

The most significant fiscal impact the bill is likely to have is on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. It requires the department to include the legal status of individuals on any new or renewed driver’s licenses or ID cards. Applicants will not be charged a fee for renewals so DHSMV will have to absorb the costs, according to a fiscal analysis.