Florida lawmakers file to ban foreign-made election machines, bolster election security
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Seminole, and Rep. Taylor Yarkosky, R-Montverde, Tuesday co-filed a bill boosting statewide election integrity.
“Florida has made tremendous progress when it comes to election security, but our work is not over,” Jacques said in a press release. “This bill further secures our elections by proactively banning foreign interference in our voting system supply chain, while also bolstering confidence in our tabulation procedures.”
HB 359 would aim to increase election trust by banning all foreign made election machines in Florida. It also would permit election workers to hand-count ballots at the precinct level.
The Florida Department of State would be banned from approving certain voting systems. It also would require the agency to make certain information and materials available to the public on its website.
Represented by Jacques, House District 59 is located within Pinellas County. Served by Yarkosky, House District 25 is located within Lake County.
“First off, I want to commend Governor DeSantis and Speaker Renner for their unwavering commitment to election integrity,” Yarkosky said in the release. “That being said, Rep. Jacques and I are continuing this never-ending battle. We will always fight to deliver on this most important issue for our voters and our elections process in general!”
In April 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 524. The legislation established the Office of Election Crimes and Security, which is designated for investigating election law violations.
Since founded, the agency has made at least 1,400 criminal referrals to law enforcement. Of those, at least 32 have led to arrest or warrants and 13 to felony convictions.
“We have taken bold steps to ensure Florida is the national leader in conducting fair and secure elections,” DeSantis said in July. “Since the formation of the Office of Election Crimes and Security, we have held illegal voters and our election officials accountable, cracked down on ballot harvesting, and strengthened ID requirements for mail-in ballots.”
If passed, HB 359 would take effect July 1, 2024.
