Bill forcing DeSantis to quickly call special elections passes first committee

A bill that would force Gov. Ron DeSantis to call a special election within two weeks of an official vacancy unanimously cleared its first Senate committee Wednesday.

SB 460 was inspired by DeSantis’ sometimes taking as long as three months to schedule special elections after a state lawmaker has left his or her seat, bill sponsor Democrat Sen. Tina Polsky said in a meeting of Senate Ethics and Elections Committee.

“Without a set timeline for a special election, dramatic inconsistencies in scheduling can occur,” said Polsky, a Broward Democrat. “Sometimes people wonder, is it for political reasons? … I think we can do a lot better.”

Under the bill, the governor would be required to fix the dates of a special primary and general election within 14 days after the vacancy occurs. If possible, the bill asks that the specials coincide with regularly scheduled elections. And if the governor doesn’t comply with the bill’s deadlines, electors can file a petition with the circuit court asking the judge to set a date.



https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/bill-forcing-desantis-to-quickly-call-special-elections-passes-first-committee/