Florida: Protections Against Intimidation of Voters and Election Workers

Voters in Florida have the right to vote free from intimidation under federal and state law. footnote1_PPZDNhucZlIG5Tdm2J2DZNetKijjeWKMvF3v-3fsA_eeCgh75oh4Tr1 See, e.g., 18 U.S.C. §§ 594, 241; 52 U.S.C. § 10101(b); Fla. Stat. §§ 104.0515(3), 104.061(1), 104.0615(2), 102.031(4)(a). Federal law broadly prohibits intimidation, threats, or coercion throughout every stage of the election process;footnote1_BcvQOOIKUXGeKEH7W3g5AHuRr5JgRTq49Ewq0BIsDU_nGJj2wukherh1 See U.S. Department of Justice, Voting Rights Fact Sheet (Sept. 2024), https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1366636/dl (summarizing federal laws that protect against intimidation). more information on the federal protections that apply to all states can be found here. In addition, the following actions are specifically prohibited by Florida law:

• Intimidating, threatening, coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person to vote or not vote, or to vote for or not vote for a particular candidate.footnote2_v8VqvM0-Cf0bqrCDYMpNOFL24ZLQtn8rjB8Ivlsq9sY_aatmTDr7N2zZ2 Fla. Stat. § 104.0515(3).
• Using bribery, menace, threat, or other corruption to influence, deceive, or deter any person from voting or to interfere with the free exercise of a person’s right to vote at any election.footnote3_t4lFvBqsC9XmS8EhP2-ek53y1l4xMnEf2QLYvfV9YQ_ivP8HB63kYDq3 Fla. Stat. § 104.061(1).
• Using force, violence, or intimidation or any tactic of coercion or intimidation to induce or compel any person to vote or refrain from voting, to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate or ballot measure, or to refrain from registering to vote.footnote4_KQqEHyiXREMACrtaXd8vzCY9TZtzWBWqO-Lmcd9VE_eLNYplyc1P8Q4 Fla. Stat. § 104.0615(2)(a)-(c).
• Soliciting voters inside a polling place or within 150 feet of a secure ballot intake station or the entrance of a polling place.footnote5_8LOAbwdr8RiPvdSgJHWrKU8–2PdN2BxISZzX-5-s_gp0zlardy8Js5 Fla. Stat. § 102.031(4)(a).

The below addresses the laws that serve as guardrails against specific threats of intimidation.

Voter Challenges

Although Florida law permits any registered voter or poll watcher to challenge the eligibility of another voter in that county,footnote6_X-fsfFPivoJJ43w35K-UsW8y-R2MuokNOvIMggkV0I_kG6jqPVqcUhT6 Fla. Stat. § 101.111(1)(a). state law also provides some guardrails:

• Challenges must be made in writing and under oath to the clerk or inspector.footnote7_TRcQ1k8yKbZdtbjWA4Hj4lFqQ3uYAH8Qts7MKt5N340_spP4Of3I3Osw7 Fla. Stat. § 101.111(1)(a).
• A copy of the oath is delivered immediately to the challenged voter by the clerk or inspector, and the voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.footnote8_m5dygw3yeqt3S8ILBeOJQLDHyt-g5NShqdz53z-zBQ_iGQpYuMkucWd8 Fla. Stat. §101.111(1)(b)1.
• If the challenge is based on the voter’s residence, the challenged voter must first be given an opportunity to execute a change of legal residence form so that they can vote a regular ballot.footnote9_AqMOkjPYxsX5-cEFFImK-fMhS6f0xWcDzlv5hUiOt-w_w2bEYgvERUzZ9 Fla. Stat. §101.111(1)(b)2.
• Voters may provide further evidence of their eligibility to the supervisor of elections until 5 p.m. on the second day after Election Day.footnote10_wXEbi9ptpYEGapCOYjVK1bSfKSbJil4xbuWXi3eGZaY_fXQKJUCD4fUZ10 Florida Division of Elections, Florida Voter Guide, November 2023, 21,https://files.floridados.gov/media/707256/final-voterregvotingguide-eng-2024-election-cycle-20231110.pdf.
• Submitting frivolous challenges is a misdemeanor, and each instance of a frivolous challenge constitutes a separate offense.footnote11_rzbvz1Ut7-TXzd6juLNNsaQk-IGMHXsqpvqFHkRpKjE_c1AqFMn73qoA11 Fla. Stat. § 101.111(2).
• Knowingly using false information to challenge a voter is a felony.footnote12_UebB1K2avyXiDKRc9o153v0i87L9D3kFR2srCZlVyEI_yrrcwuXWgdOd12 Fla. Stat. § 104.0615(3)(a).

The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) provides additional safeguards to protect voters from mass challenges before an election:

• The NVRA expressly recognizes that National Change of Address information is not sufficient on its own to serve as the basis for canceling a voter’s registration.footnote13_PLl6vSUctQ9PTGM3shI44UyFWwX0znRa3QTtakW9uDg_zOD3dQDiyZpT13 52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)(1)(B).
• The NVRA prohibits the systematic removal of voters from the rolls within 90 days of a federal election.footnote14_gMU4pKaaGGtR0djXke9owYAHAATVZbmZt7GBXP2Bc7Y_eHZzjAHoc5E314 52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)(2)(A).

The Brennan Center and All Voting Is Local published a detailed resource on the limits on voter eligibility challenges in Florida here.

Intimidation of Poll Workers and Election Officials

In addition to federal protections against the intimidation of election workers, it is a felony in Florida to use or threaten to use force, violence, intimidation, or coercion to induce an individual to refrain from acting as an election official.footnote15_Y4qqf1GDnACWSdLfIY2KfnaocLo4lndMe7LynNL6-k_rfZi1P1uVIKl15 Fla. Stat. § 104.0615(2)(d). It is also a felony to knowingly use false information to induce or attempt to induce an individual to refrain from acting as an election official.footnote16_hJ1DL2rTwJWJlWgoU3djeDHCiSyrkFBCIyI4xkxqjcA_gaMgTI0mHnHl16 Fla. Stat. § 104.0615(3)(c).

Voter Intimidation by Poll Workers

The Brennan Center and All Voting is Local published a detailed resource on the rules and constraints for Florida poll workers here.

Intimidation by Poll Watchers

In addition to Florida’s voter intimidation laws detailed above, the state places limits on who may serve as poll watchers and what they may and may not do:

• Watchers must be registered to vote in the county in which they serve, and only one watcher per political party and one watcher per candidate may be in each polling room or early voting area at any given time.footnote17_Tk5ukhBfXA7woGuYkd3ambOQQ9GD3v42QFkn99qYx0c_lP5xot22r6Zk17 Fla. Stat. § 101.131(1).
• Law enforcement and candidates may not serve as poll watchers.footnote18_sd2ITCmYlmB2p95sRwFozqbozrm-QaSdFIIjhF9YiIw_hX5MeYriwN8e18 Fla. Stat. § 101.131(3).
• Watchers must wear their identifying badge issued by the supervisor of elections.footnote19_VrpO0OwFZRgEWKhG3kYf5LgM95UzkKjxLHDgUgcc4XM_loHIdjPUx1ns19 Fla. Stat. § 101.131(5).
• Watchers may not take photographs or recordings of any kind inside the polling room or early voting site, nor may they interact with any voters.footnote20_VHLIjEurnNlALNCU5dif6OPx01ztRG4WvOHB7lJ54pU_gfBU8KrAmtnU20 Florida Division of Elections, Polling Place Procedures Manual, April 2020, 11–12, https://files.floridados.gov/media/703005/adopted-clean-de11_pollplaceprocmanual.pdf; Fla. Stat. §§ 101.131(1), 102.031(5).
• Watchers are prohibited from wearing campaign buttons, shirts, hats, or other campaign items.footnote21_596fyLT35b1zydXvGm5ZNprtFrhH1BQq2wX7oLrxDo_uMUmLUxYR4yd21 Florida Division of Elections, Polling Place Procedures Manual, 12.
• Watchers may not obstruct the orderly conduct of an election or come closer to the inspectors’ table or the voting booths than is reasonably necessary to properly perform their function as watchers.footnote22_5zvEhsFGPHQS20koEAo8LYJfMX2qVol64yN6Ny0ml4g_bNOp82uD8v4I22 Fla. Stat. § 101.131(1).

Election officials and poll workers may remove from a polling place any poll watcher who abuses their role.footnote23_iGb-yrnUCcudWXSSSmi4xtIjLcYeXpggTowsk8MF8cY_xHmKiTHwwf0W23 Fla. Stat. § 102.031(1), (4)(c).

The Brennan Center and All Voting Is Local published a detailed resource on the rules and constraints on Florida poll watchers here.

State and Local Law Enforcement

Sheriffs are required to deputize a deputy sheriff at each polling location.footnote24_TQLxy9csCZURwAi6njF3Ltjg1PBAdmvc222sntiIaA_qxAQtaS1VWmN24 Fla. Stat. § 102.031(2). Deputies may be in plain clothes and are not armed. In practice, they may be recruited by the election official in the jurisdiction and are often former poll workers. Deputy sheriffs are subject to all lawful commands of the clerk or inspectors at each polling place and each early voting site.footnote25_TQLxy9csCZURwAi6njF3Ltjg1PBAdmvc222sntiIaA_om2dpoz0aYBp25 Fla. Stat. § 102.031(2). Law enforcement officers are otherwise not permitted in polling places except to cast a ballot, unless they have permission from the election clerk or the majority of the election inspectors.footnote26_KhUGz304DZe7FirseVBcKSDHbNGkr9qbbTb9FBBAsE_ngN5wxXX9yEq26 Fla. Stat. §§ 102.031(3)(a)6, 102.101. If any officer refuses to comply, the clerk or inspectors may make an affidavit against the officer for their arrest.footnote27_U3hMhnIsA8rXXx6U86CWmCAQ32–6rjYjsJ6l7CvsbxA_a3WG5iSxelHZ27 Fla. Stat. § 102.101.

Guns at Polling Places

Guns and other weapons, apart from those belonging to law enforcement officers who have been authorized by a law enforcement agency to vote while on duty and who are required to carry a weapon while on duty, are prohibited at polling places.footnote28_6jK6jhLio22XMYMMBbb3ARGHGCm8yHB3mEQ1sRkjVI_zbfdUe6kMEmS28 Fla. Stat. § 790.06(12)(a)(6); Op. Att’y Gen. Fla. 1993–37 (1993). Therefore, the presence of any such firearm in or around a polling place should be treated as intimidation.

Even at locations where firearms are not expressly prohibited, firearm carry may constitute unlawful intimidation. Such conduct may consist of carrying a visible firearm while near a polling location or at a drop box or vote-counting site, displaying a concealed firearm during a discussion or argument with a voter or election worker, or approaching a voter or election worker while displaying a firearm.

Door-to-Door Intimidation

Florida and federal law prohibit canvassing efforts that are used to intimidate voters.footnote29_HxyfSZwOtlqFl8B9wAyuWDHYOjYUVOKcasCY3ZUz9c_rDkdiZX5RUti29 18 U.S.C. §§ 594, 241; Fla. Stat. §§ 104.0515(3), 104.061(1), 104.0615(2). Any voter who receives a visit from a privately organized canvassing group does not have to answer any questions and should report any incidents of intimidation to their local officials. Additionally, it is a felony in Florida to impersonate or deliberately act as a public officer.footnote30_ZtdQ2hPmoTV4zaCuZv55gBl2Nz0sCb3xPm9JvcMpfpI_gvkECQMwLLiP30 Fla. Stat. § 843.0855(2).