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RESOLUTION URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO PASS LEGISLATION DURING THE 2013 SESSION TO ALLOW ELECTORS TO CAST THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOTS AT THEIR PRECINCTS ON ELECTION DAY USING ELECTION DAY VOTING EQUIPMENT; IDENTIFYING THIS ISSUE AS A CRITICAL COUNTY PRIORITY FOR THE 2013 SESSION

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WHEREAS, electors in Miami-Dade County are increasingly choosing to vote by absentee ballot; and
WHEREAS, during the 2012 General Election over 50,000 absentee ballots were returned to the Supervisor of Elections office on Election Day and the day before Election Day; and
WHEREAS, current State Law requires the Supervisor of Elections and the Miami-Dade County Canvassing Board to separate, canvass, open and tabulate those ballots; and
WHEREAS, the delivery of over 50,000 absentee ballots the day before and on Election Day created delays in tabulating final results for the General Election; and
WHEREAS, permitting electors to go to their precincts on Election Day with their voted absentee ballots and utilize the tabulation equipment at the precincts to cast their ballot will lower the burden imposed upon the Supervisor of Election and the Miami-Dade County Canvassing Board and will decrease delays in reporting election results; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor created the Elections Advisory Group following the November 2012 general election; and
WHEREAS, at the February 1, 2013 meeting of the Elections Advisory Group the group voted to recommend this legislative change to the Board of County Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, this Board strongly supports this recommendation and urges the Florida Legislature to enact this change during the 2013 session; and
WHEREAS, given the importance of addressing these issues for voters in future elections, the Board wishes to identify this issue as a critical County priority in the County�s state legislative package for the 2013 session of the Florida Legislature,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the Florida Legislature to pass legislation during the 2013 session to allow electors to cast their absentee ballots at their precincts on Election Day using Election Day voting equipment in addition to the current requirement that absentee ballots be sealed and returned to Supervisors of Elections before 7:00 p.m. on Election Day for subsequent canvassing and tabulation.
Section 2. Identifies these issues as a critical priority of Miami-Dade County for the 2013 session of the Florida Legislature.
Section 3. Directs the Clerk of this Board to send a certified copy of this resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade State Legislative Delegation and the Florida Secretary of State.
Section 4. Directs the County's state lobbyists to advocate for the passage of the legislation and action set forth in section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to amend the 2013 State Legislative Package to include this item as a critical County priority.