Voter Registration for Participants in the Attorney General Address Confidentiality Program Ken Detzner, Secretary of State Maria Matthews, Director, Division of Elections (Updated September 2017)

History/purpose

Address Confidentiality Program History Created in 1998 Statutory Authority: Chapter 741.401 – 741.465, Fla. Stat. Administered by the Attorney General Office. Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs/Bureau of Advocacy and Grants Management. http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/Main/CAB44E1FB5429EE285256F55 00576153?OpenDocument Available to registered participants who are relocated: Victims of domestic violence and Victims of stalking (added in 2010)(See Florida Statute 97.0585).

Program Purpose It is a public records disclosure protection program It is not a “witness protection program”

Program – Major Components (for voter registration purposes) Formal designation as participant in the Attorney General’s Program for Address Confidentiality. Registration handled manually outside of registration database Confidentiality of information in public records. Substitute mailing address. If ACP participant registers, he or she will need to vote-by- mail. The Attorney General defines a ‘Protected Records Voters’ as: a program participant who is registered and qualified to vote and has requested a vote-by-ballot pursuant to s. 101.62, F.S., and will vote in the same manner as an absentee voter. Source: See Chapter 2A-7, Florida Administrative Code)

Attorney general office program role

Duties Designates person as participant with: An ACP authorization card A blank acknowledgment form (not available online) A substitute residential address (723 Truman Avenue, Tallahassee) Instructs person to “not register” through DHSMV/tax collectors’ office or any means other that going in person to Supervisor of Election’s office Specifies that participant will only be able to vote by mail.

ACP Card and Form ACP ‘Authorization Card Acknowledgment Form

ACP Participant/ VOTEr’s Role

Applies for designation as ACP participant Registers to vote in person at county Supervisor of Elections’ Office Presents ACP Authorization Card to SOE Requires ACP voter to vote-by-mail Completes voter registration form with actual residential address Signs Acknowledgment Form at SOE office Re-applies for ACP participant status every 4 years Notifies SOE of address change or ACP status change If moving to another county, must re-register with that county

ACP Participant Renewal An ACP Participant must renew his or her certification with the OAG every 4 years. The process for renewal is the same as the process for initial certification. Participant is responsible for providing the updated ACP card to the Supervisor. Participant should minimize disclosure of his or her ACP status other than as needed. Participant is responsible for notifying to Supervisor if he or she is no longer in the ACP program, and whether he or she wishes to remain registered to vote.

Supervisor of elections’ role

Registrations Designate yourself or staff to securely handle these types of in-person registrations Copy ACP authorization card Return original to voter for your files (assists for ACP tracking) Obtain signed Acknowledgment form. Obtain completed ACP participant/voter’s registration application including legal residential address (necessary for proper precinct assignment for ballot) Ask ACP participant if registered in another Florida county (assists for ACP tracking)

Registrations (cont’d) Provide copy of records to participant for his or her records Direct ACP participant to new county Supervisor of Elections’ office directly if ACP voter re-locates If ACP participant is registered in FVRS, remove all registration, voting and vote-by-mail request records from local databases If one or more records in FVRS, coordinate with other counties to remove records similarly from local databases

Registrations (cont’d) Send the following to Special Attention: Chief, Bureau of Voter Registration Services, Division of Elections, Florida Department of State (mark confidential): Acknowledgement form (signed copy) ACP authorization card (copy) Voter registration form (signed copy/redacted address) Include FVRS name and ID # if applicable). Conduct periodic check of county registration database to identify potential ACP participants who have not followed normal process Addresses to look for in residential or mailing fields: 723 Truman Avenue, Tallahassee, Florida PO Box 6298, PO Box 7327, and PO Box 7297, Tallahassee

Voting Mail ACP voter’s vote-by-mail ballot to AG’s post office address. (ACP program will forward to Participant.) Process returned VBM like any other voted VBM ballot including providing notice to the voter if the ballot is rejected as illegal Check your county registration rolls periodically to identify potential ACP participants who have not followed normal process by looking for these addresses in the residential or mailing fields: 723 Truman Avenue, Tallahassee, Florida PO Box 6298, PO Box 7327, and PO Box 7297, Tallahassee

Division of elections’ role

Searches FVRS for prior registrations and remove from FVRS Cross-checks existing hardcopy ACP files to prior registration Contacts county to remove name from local database files Creates hard-copy/manual registration record and securely store Forwards signed Acknowledgment form to the Office of Attorney General Verifies personal identifying # (DL, State ID or SSN4 through DHSMV/SSA Notifies SOE if person is ineligible to initiate notice and removal under s. 98.075(7), F.S. Runs monthly ineligibility maintenance cross-checks Sends credible and reliable ineligibility file to SOE initiate notice and removal under s. 98.075(7), F.S.

Removal of acp voter from Rolls

Removal from Registration Rolls Conduct address list maintenance per section 98.065, F.S., and process as inactive voter if applicable Initiate notice under s. 98.075(7), F.S. for ineligibility, if applicable Do not publish ineligibility notices if mailed notice is undeliverable --coordinate with AG’s office to extent possible Use AG’s post office address to mail notices Notify the BVRS of the outcome

Removal from ACP Program Circumstances that may result in change of ACP protected voter status ACP status is cancelled, expired without renewal or is otherwise no longer valid ACP participant requests removal AG notifies BVRS and BVRS notifies SOE SOE outreach to ACP voter to determine if he or she wishes to remain registered Enter registration record into FVRS If yes, coordinate between SOE and BVRS to ensure that voter is given proper registration date

Office of the Attorney General Address Confidentiality Program PL-01 The Capitol Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050 Phone (850) 414-3300; Fax (850) 487-3013 ********* Christine Harris: Bureau Chief/Program Oversight Rule References: Rule Chapter 2A-7 Address Confidentiality Program https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ChapterHome.asp?Chapter=2A-7 Rule 1S - 2.039(11) FVRS Vote Registration Procedures http://election.dos.state.fl.us/rules/adopted-rules/pdf/1S2039.pdf