KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Florida

HB0985 • 2026

Voter Registration and Identification

Voter Registration and Identification

Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Jacques
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died in Government Operations Subcommittee
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's status indicates it did not pass all stages, leaving some uncertainty about its final form and implementation details.

Voter Registration and Identification

This bill requires election officials to verify the citizenship status of new voters, updates ID requirements for voting at polling places, and allows certain noncitizens to vote with provisional ballots.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires election officials to verify an applicant's citizenship status before accepting their voter registration application.
  • Updates the list of acceptable IDs for voting at polling places.
  • Allows certain noncitizens to cast provisional ballots if needed.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to register to vote in Florida
  • Voters going to polling places on Election Day

Terms To Know

Provisional ballot
A special ballot given when there is doubt about a person's right to vote.
Supervisor of elections
An official who manages voter registration and election processes in Florida counties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass all stages in the legislature.
  • Some parts of the bill may need further clarification or implementation details.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died in Government Operations Subcommittee

  2. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  3. 2026-01-12 House

    • Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee • Referred to Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee • Referred to State Affairs Committee • Now in Government Operations Subcommittee

  4. 2026-01-05 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Voter Registration and Identification; Requires supervisor of elections to verify applicant’s citizenship status & refer certain matters to Office of Election Crimes & Security; provides certain action is considered written request from voter to have his or her name removed from statewide voter registration system; revises identifications accepted at polling places; requires that certain electors show Florida ID card upon entering polling place; provides that certain noncitizens may vote provisional ballot; requires supervisor of elections to verify certain information upon receiving request for vote-by-mail ballot; requires certain licenses & ID cards to denote certain persons as noncitizens.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 985 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb985-00
Page 1 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to voter registration and 2
identification; amending s. 97.053, F.S.; requiring 3
the supervisor of elections to verify an applicant's 4
citizenship status under certain circumstances and 5
refer certain matters to the Office of Election Crimes 6
and Security; amending s. 98.045, F.S.; providing 7
certain action is considered a written request from a 8
voter to have his or her name removed from the 9
statewide voter registration system; amending s. 10
101.043, F.S.; revising identifications accepted at 11
polling places; requiring that certain electors show a 12
Florida identification card upon entering the polling 13
place; providing that certain noncitizens may vote a 14
provisional ballot; amending s. 101.62, F.S.; 15
requiring the supervisor of elections to verify 16
certain information upon receiving a request for a 17
vote-by-mail ballot; amending s. 322.141, F.S.; 18
requiring certain licenses and identification cards to 19
denote certain persons as noncitizens; providing an 20
effective date. 21
22
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 23
24
Section 1. Subsection (6) of section 97.053, Florida 25

HB 985 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb985-00
Page 2 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

Statutes, is amended to read: 26
97.053 Acceptance of voter registration applications.— 27
(6)(a) A voter registration application, including an 28
application with a change in name, address, driver license 29
number, or party affiliation, may be accepted as valid only 30
after the department has verified the authenticity or 31
nonexistence of the driver license number, the Florida 32
identification card number, or the last four digits of the 33
social security number provided by the applicant. 34
1. If the applicant completes a voter registration 35
application using a driver license number or Florida 36
identification card number, the supervisor of elections shall 37
verify that the driver license number or Florida identification 38
card number is classified as that of a United States citizen in 39
the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records. If 40
the applicant is not classified as a United States citizen in 41
such records, the applicant shall provide proof of citizenship. 42
2. If the applicant completes a voter registration 43
application using a the last four digits of his or her social 44
security number, the supervisor shall verify the applicant's 45
citizenship status using the Systematic Alien Verification for 46
Entitlements Program established by the United States Bureau of 47
Citizenship and Immigration Services. If the applicant's 48
citizenship status cannot be verified, the applicant shall 49
provide proof of citizenship. 50

HB 985 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb985-00
Page 3 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

3. If the supervisor of elections determines that false 51
affirmations have been made on a voter registration application, 52
the matter must be referred to the Office of Election Crimes and 53
Security. 54
(b) If a completed voter registration application has been 55
received by the book-closing deadline but the driver license 56
number, the Florida identification card number, or the last four 57
digits of the social security number provided by the applicant 58
cannot be verified, the applicant shall be notified that the 59
number cannot be verified and that the applicant must provide 60
evidence to the supervisor sufficient to verify the authenticity 61
of the applicant's driver license number, Florida identification 62
card number, or last four digits of the social security number. 63
If the applicant provides the necessary evidence, the supervisor 64
shall place the applicant's name on the registration rolls as an 65
active voter. If the applicant has not provided the necessary 66
evidence or the number has not otherwise been verified prior to 67
the applicant presenting himself or herself to vote, the 68
applicant shall be provided a provisional ballot. The 69
provisional ballot shall be counted only if the number is 70
verified by the end of the canvassing period or if the applicant 71
presents evidence to the supervisor of elections sufficient to 72
verify the authenticity of the applicant's driver license 73
number, Florida identification card number, or last four digits 74
of the social security number no later than 5 p.m. of the second 75

HB 985 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb985-00
Page 4 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

day following the election. 76
Section 2. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (2) of 77
section 98.045, Florida Statutes, to read: 78
98.045 Administration of voter registration.— 79
(2) REMOVAL OF REGISTERED VOTERS.— 80
(c) Information received from the Department of Highway 81
Safety and Motor Vehicles indicating that a registered voter in 82
the state has obtained a driver license in another state shall 83
be considered a written request from the voter to have his or 84
her name removed from the statewide voter registration system. 85
Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 101.043, Florida 86
Statutes, is amended to read: 87
101.043 Identification required at polls.— 88
(1)(a) The precinct register, as prescribed in s. 98.461, 89
shall be used at the polls for the purpose of identifying the 90
elector at the polls before allowing him or her to vote. The 91
clerk or inspector shall require each elector, upon entering the 92
polling place, to present one of the following current and valid 93
picture identifications: 94
1. Florida driver license. 95
2. Florida identification card issued by the Department of 96
Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. 97
3. United States passport. 98
4. Debit or credit card. 99
5. Military identification. 100

HB 985 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb985-00
Page 5 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

6. Student identification. 101
7. Retirement center identification. 102
8. Neighborhood association identification. 103
6.9. Public assistance identification. 104
7.10. Veteran health identification card issued by the 105
United States Department of Veterans Affairs. 106
8.11. A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm 107
issued pursuant to s. 790.06. 108
9.12. Employee identification card issued by any branch, 109
department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the 110
state, a county, or a municipality. 111
112
If an elector used a Florida identification card in his or her 113
voter registration application, he or she must present his or 114
her Florida identification card upon entering the polling place. 115
(b) If the picture identification does not contain the 116
signature of the elector, an additional identification that 117
provides the elector's signature shall be required. The address 118
appearing on the identification presented by the elector may not 119
be used as the basis to challenge an elector's legal residence. 120
The elector shall sign his or her name in the space provided on 121
the precinct register or on an electronic device provided for 122
recording the elector's signature. The clerk or inspector shall 123
compare the signature with that on the identification provided 124
by the elector and enter his or her initials in the space 125

HB 985 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb985-00
Page 6 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

provided on the precinct register or on an electronic device 126
provided for that purpose and allow the elector to vote if the 127
clerk or inspector is satisfied as to the identity of the 128
elector. 129
(2) If the elector fails to furnish the required 130
identification or if the identification provided denotes the 131
elector as a noncitizen pursuant to s. 322.141(5), the elector 132
shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. The canvassing 133
board shall determine the validity of the ballot pursuant to s. 134
101.048(2). 135
Section 4. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (1) of 136
section 101.62, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as paragraphs 137
(d) and (e), respectively, and a new paragraph (c) is added to 138
that subsection, to read: 139
101.62 Request for vote-by-mail ballots.— 140
(1) REQUEST.— 141
(c) Upon receiving a request for a vote-by-mail ballot, if 142
the voter is registered using a Florida identification card, the 143
supervisor of elections shall verify with the Department of 144
Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that: 145
1. The registration and mailing address are complete and 146
current. If the address is not complete or current, the voter 147
must update his or her registration address or vote in person. 148
2. The voter is a United States citizen. If the voter's 149
citizenship status cannot be verified, he or she must provide 150

HB 985 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb985-00
Page 7 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

proof of citizenship before voting or being issued an absentee 151
ballot. 152
3. The voter's Florida identification card is not 153
classified as surrendered because he or she obtained an 154
identification card in a new state. 155
Section 5. Subsection (5) is added to section 322.141, 156
Florida Statutes, to read: 157
322.141 Color or markings of certain licenses or 158
identification cards.— 159
(5) All licenses for the operation of motor vehicles or 160
identification cards originally issued or reissued by the 161
department to persons who are not citizens of the United States 162
shall have on the front of the license or identification card 163
"NC" to denote that such person is a noncitizen. For the 164
purposes of this section, submission of any of the following 165
documents is considered proof that such person is a noncitizen: 166
(a) Documents listed in s. 322.08(2)(c)5., 7., or 8. 167
(b) Documents listed in s. 322.051(1)(a)3.e., g., or h. 168
(c) A Type 2 or Type 3 social security card. 169
Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 170