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Supervisors of Elections are required to conduct annual voter registration list maintenance activities to protect the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring accurate and current voter registration records in the Florida Voter Registration System.

WHAT LAWS GOVERN VOTER LIST MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES?
List maintenance activities are conducted in accordance with federal and state laws, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (“Motor Voter Act”), and the Help America Vote Act of 2002, as well as Florida Statutes Sections 98.065 and 98.075.

WHY CONDUCT VOTER REGISTRATION LIST MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES?
Voter list maintenance activities identify changes in either the voter's eligibility or address. Conducting regular voter list maintenance keeps voter records current and accurate and promotes the secure and efficient conduct of elections in Florida.

Changes in voter eligibility or address subject to voter list maintenance activity include:

• A voter is deceased
• A voter has moved out of state
• A voter was convicted of a felony
• A voter was adjudicated mentally incapacitated
• A voter is not a U.S. citizen
• A voter is not at least 18 years of age
• A voter lives at a non-residential address
• A voter no longer resides at the address on record
• A voter requests to be removed from the Florida Voter Registration System

WHEN ARE VOTER LIST MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED?
The Supervisors of Elections are required to conduct comprehensive voter registration list maintenance activities once each year, beginning no later than April 1st. The voter registration list maintenance activities must be completed no later than 90 days before a federal election.

Voter address list maintenance also occurs year-round as the Office of the Supervisor of Elections receives mail returned as undeliverable from the United States Postal Service (USPS) or from other third-party sources such as Jury Notices and Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) lists from the Florida Division of Elections.

HOW ARE VOTER REGISTRATIONS SUBJECT TO LIST MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES IDENTIFIED?
Supervisors of Elections use the following information to conduct voter registration list maintenance activities to identify voters whose address may have changed:

• Change-of-address information provided by USPS
• Change-of-address information provided by DHSMV or Elections Offices in other States
• Address Confirmation Final Notices mailed to all registered voters who have not voted in the preceding two general elections or any election in between and have had no activity on their record during this timeframe (Conducted in odd-numbered years)
• Mail returned as undeliverable from the USPS or from other third-party sources such as Jury Notices and DHSMV lists from the Florida Division of Elections

Additionally, Supervisors of Elections may conduct voter list maintenance activities upon direct receipt of, access to, or knowledge of information from any governmental entity that identifies a registered voter as potentially ineligible.

HOW DO SUPERVISORS OF ELECTIONS CONTACT VOTERS UPON RECEIPT OF ADDRESS CORRECTION INFORMATION?
Supervisors of Elections use the following procedures upon receipt of information that a registered voter’s address information has changed:

• Address Confirmation Request (ACR) – non-forwardable form; U.S. Postal Service will return with forwarding information if undeliverable; used to verify names and addresses of voters; also used to verify addresses when a third-party source provides a mailing address. If it is returned as undeliverable, an Address Confirmation Final Notice (ACFN) is mailed.
• Address Change Notice (ACN) – forwardable form sent to the newly recorded address with a preaddressed postage-paid return form; sent when an update is received from a third-party source indicating the voter may have moved within the state. If it is returned as undeliverable, an Address Confirmation Final Notice (ACFN) is mailed.
• Address Confirmation Final Notice (ACFN) – forwardable form sent to newly recorded address with preaddressed postage-paid return form; sent when an update is received notice from a third-party source indicating the voter may have moved out of state; also used when the Supervisor receives undeliverable mail from a voter’s legal residence.

HOW ARE VOTERS DESCRIBED UNDER FLORIDA LAW FOR VOTER LIST MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES?
An Active Voter is a registered voter who has not had any mail returned as undeliverable or has either updated their voter record, requested a vote-by-mail ballot, or voted within the last two federal general elections.

An Inactive Voter is a registered voter who was sent an Address Confirmation Final Notice (ACFN) and did not return the postage prepaid confirmation form within 30 days or for whom the final notice was returned as undeliverable. Inactive voters remain in the Florida Voter Registration System and are still eligible to vote.

WHAT HAPPENS TO INACTIVE VOTERS?
An Inactive Voter may be restored to active status at any time by either updating their voter record, requesting a vote-by-mail ballot, or voting.

If an Inactive Voter does not update their voter registration record, request a vote-by-mail ballot, or vote by the second federal general election following their status change to Inactive Voter, the voter’s name will be removed from the Florida Voter Registration System. Once removed, an otherwise eligible voter will be required to register to vote again to have their name restored to the Florida Voter Registration System.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS HAS INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH FLORIDA LAW that identifies a registered voter as potentially ineligible
When a Supervisor of Elections is in direct receipt of, has access to, or knows of information from any governmental entity that identifies a registered voter as potentially ineligible, that identified voter is notified that their eligibility to vote is in question by first-class certified mail, return receipt requested.

If a certified letter is returned as undeliverable, the names and addresses of voters who may be ineligible to vote are published in a legal notice, which provides instructions and requirements to avoid removal from the Florida Voter Registration System.

If the voter responds to a certified letter or legal notice and concurs with the information provided, the voter is removed from the Florida Voter Registration System and sent a notice of ineligibility.

If the certified letter is received but the voter fails to respond to the certified letter or legal notice, fails to provide any evidence, or does not request a hearing, and the Supervisor determines based on a preponderance of the evidence that the voter is ineligible, the voter is removed from the Florida Voter Registration System and sent a notice of ineligibility. If the Supervisor of Elections determines the voter is still eligible, the voter remains in the voter registration system, and a letter of eligibility is sent to the voter.

If a voter disagrees with the information provided regarding ineligibility, the voter has the right to request a hearing to provide proof of their eligibility. If, upon a review of the evidence, the Supervisor of Elections determines, based on a preponderance of the evidence, that the voter is ineligible, the voter is removed from the Florida Voter Registration System and sent a notice of ineligibility.  If the Supervisor of Elections determines the voter is still eligible, the voter remains in the Florida Voter Registration System, and a letter of eligibility is sent to the voter.

Once a voter is designated as ineligible or removed from the Florida Voter Registration System, the voter must register to vote again once they have met all requirements to register to vote.

HOW ARE VOTER LIST MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES REPORTED?
Voter registration statistics are updated monthly and posted on the Voter Registration Statistics page. These statistics reflect only active registered voters.

Twice a year, on or before January 31 and July 31, the Supervisor of Elections is required to certify to the Division of Elections the list and eligibility maintenance activities conducted during the six months prior. Certification forms must include the number of notices sent, the number of responses to notices, the number of voters designated as inactive, and the number of voters removed from the Florida Voter Registration System.