§ 101.5607 Department of State to maintain voting system information; prepare software.
Overview of Statute
Statute
(1)(a) Copies of the program codes and the user and operator manuals and copies of all software and any other information, specifications, or documentation required by the Department of State relating to an approved electronic or electromechanical voting system and its equipment must be filed with the Department of State by the supervisor of elections at the time of purchase or implementation. Any such information or materials that are not on file with and approved by the Department of State, including any updated or modified materials, may not be used in an election.
(b) Within 24 hours after the completion of any logic and accuracy test conducted pursuant to s. 101.5612, the supervisor of elections shall send by certified mail to the Department of State a copy of the tabulation program which was used in the logic and accuracy testing.
(c) The Department of State may, at any time, review the voting system of any county to ensure compliance with the Electronic Voting Systems Act.
(d) Section 119.071(1)(f) applies to all software on file with the Department of State.
(b) Software prepared by the Department of State is a public record pursuant to chapter 119 and shall be provided at the actual cost of duplication.
History:
s. 7, ch. 73-156; s. 21, ch. 77-175; s. 4, ch. 82-143; s. 11, ch. 84-302; s. 11, ch. 89-348; s. 25, ch. 90-344; s. 21, ch. 95-398; s. 19, ch. 2001-40; s. 32, ch. 2004-335; s. 41, ch. 2005-251.
- Cross-References:
- Storage and Control of Voting Machines
- Voting Technology
1. Definition for Department
The Department of State. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(7).
2. Definition for Supervisor
The supervisor of elections. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(36).
3. Definition for Voting System
4. Definition for Election
Any primary election, special primary election, special election, general election, or presidential preference primary election. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(12).
5. Definition for Purchase
As used in ss. 101.292-101.295, “purchase” means a contract for the purchase, lease, rental, or other acquisition of voting equipment. Fla. Stat. § 101.292(3).
6. Definition for Software
As used in the Electronic Voting Systems Act, software means the programs and routines used to employ and control the capabilities of data processing hardware, including, without limitation, operating systems, compilers, assemblers, utilities, library routines, maintenance routines, applications, and computer networking programs. Fla. Stat. § 101.5603(7).
Cases
Florida Cases
Case Name: Wexler v. Lepore
Citation: 878 So.2d 1276
Year: 2004
Case URL: https://www.ravellaw.com/opinions/a64f9a0c363eae4d70f7c6981b8b7616
Case Summary: Wexler v. Lepore held that the Secretary of State had statutory authority under the Electronic Voting Rights Act to handle how recounts would be conducted. As such, Weller's suit was dismissed.
Out-of-State Cases
Federal Cases
Regulations & Guidance
Regulations
Administrative Decisions
Additional Resources
Further Reading
-
Fla. Jur. 2d Elections s 147, Generally
-
Fla. Jur. 2d Records and Recording Acts s 129, Trade secret and proprietary information