SB 280 — Candidate Qualification

Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 280 By Senatorthe ArringtonCommittee 25-00445A-25on 2025280__Ethics Aand billElections; to be entitled An act relating to candidate qualification;

and Senator Arrington 582-02088-25 2025280c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to candidate qualification;

amending s.

99.021, F.S.;

specifying that a person seeking to qualify for office as a candidate must be a registered member of a political party, or registered without any party affiliation, for 365 consecutive days preceding the beginning of qualifying for an election;

99.013 Eligibility to qualify for nomination as a candidate of a political party or candidate with no party affiliation.— (1)(a) A person seeking to qualify for nomination as a candidate of a political party must have been a registered member of the political party for which the person is seeking nomination as a candidate for at least 365 consecutive days beforepreceding the beginning of the qualifying period precedingbefore the generalPage election1 forof which3 theCODING: person seeks to qualify.

(b) A person seeking to qualify for nomination as a candidate with no party affiliation must be registered without any party affiliation and may not have been a registered member of any political party for at least 365 days before the Page 1 of 2 CODING:

Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 280 25-00445A-25582-02088-25 2025280__2025280c1 beginning of the qualifying period preceding the general election for which the person seeks to qualify.

(2)(b) A politicalperson party,seeking in addition to anyqualify otherfor personnomination oras entitya candidate with standing,no mayparty bringaffiliation anmust actionbe forregistered declaratorywithout andany injunctiveparty reliefaffiliation basedand onmay anot claimhave thatbeen a personregistered seekingmember toof qualifyany political party for nominationat asleast a365 candidateconsecutive ofdays suchpreceding politicalthe partybeginning orof asthe aqualifying candidateperiod withbefore nothe partygeneral affiliationelection didfor notwhich complythe withperson thisseeks section.to qualify.

(2) A political party or other candidate for the office sought may bring an action for declaratory and injunctive relief based on a claim that a person seeking to qualify for nomination as a candidate of such political party or as a candidate with no party affiliation did not comply with this section.

Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) of section 99.021, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

99.021 Form of candidate oath.— (1) (b) In addition, any person seeking to qualify for nomination as a candidate of any political party shall, at the time of subscribing to the oath or affirmation, state in writing:

1.

The party of which the person is a member.

2.

That the person has been a registered member of the political party for which he or she is seeking nomination as a candidate for at least 365 consecutive days preceding before the beginning of qualifying before preceding the general election Page 2 of 3 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 280 582-02088-25 2025280c1 for which the person seeks to qualify.

3.

That the person has paid the assessment levied against him or her, if any, as a candidate for said office by the executive committee of the party of which he or she is a member.

(c) In addition, any person seeking to qualify for office as a candidate with no party affiliation shall, at the time of subscribing to the oath or affirmation, state in writing that he or she is registered without any party affiliation and that he or she has not been a registered member of any political party for at least 365 consecutive days preceding before the beginning of qualifying before preceding the general election for which the person seeks to qualify.

Section 3.

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