TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – The Florida House passed a bill Wednesday that would require candidates to be affiliated with the party they wish to represent for 365 consecutive days before they are eligible to run for office.
Current state law requires a year of party affiliation, but differing interpretations of that requirement have allowed people to change party affiliations and immediately run for office. The bill is intended to close that gap.
Florida Politics:
Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, said the legislation is meant to bring clarity to the existing requirement.
“The legislative intent is 365 consecutive days,” Tant said. “That is to ensure honesty and integrity in the process.”
The bill is now ready for a vote in the Senate.
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