§ 103.091 Political parties.
Statute
(1) Each political party of the state shall be represented by a state executive committee. County executive committees and other committees may be established in accordance with the rules of the state executive committee. A political party may provide for the selection of its national committee and its state and county executive committees in such manner as it deems proper. Unless otherwise provided by party rule, the county executive committee of each political party shall consist of at least two members, a man and a woman, from each precinct, who shall be called the precinct committeeman and committeewoman. For counties divided into 40 or more precincts, the state executive committee may adopt a district unit of representation for such county executive committees. Upon adoption of a district unit of representation, the state executive committee shall request the supervisor of elections of that county, with approval of the board of county commissioners, to provide for election districts as nearly equal in number of registered voters as possible. Each county committeeman or committeewoman shall be a resident of the precinct from which he or she is elected. Each state committeeman or committeewoman must be a member in good standing of the county executive committee for the county in which the state committeeman or committeewoman is a registered voter.
(b) Each state executive committee shall include, as at-large committeemen and committeewomen, all members of the United States Congress representing the State of Florida who are members of the political party, all statewide elected officials who are members of the party, 10 Florida registered voters who are members of the party as appointed by the Governor if the Governor is a member of the party, and the President of the Senate or the Minority Leader in the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, whichever is a member of the political party, and 20 members of the Legislature who are members of the political party. Ten of the legislators shall be appointed with the concurrence of the state chair of the respective party, as follows: five to be appointed by the President of the Senate; five by the Minority Leader in the Senate; five by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and five by the Minority Leader in the House.(c) When a political party allows any member of the state executive committee to have more than one vote per person, other than by proxy, in a matter coming before the state executive committee, the 20 members of the Legislature appointed under paragraph (b) shall not be appointed to the state executive committee and the following elected officials who are members of that political party shall be appointed and shall have the following votes:
- Governor: a number equal to 15 percent of votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- Lieutenant Governor: a number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- Each member of the United States Senate representing the state: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- Attorney General: a number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- Chief Financial Officer: a number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- Commissioner of Agriculture: a number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- President of the Senate: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- Minority leader of the Senate: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- Speaker of the House of Representatives: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
- Minority leader of the House of Representatives: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen; and
- Each member of the United States House of Representatives representing the state: a number equal to 1 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen.
(d)
- The governing body of each state executive committee as defined by party rule shall include as at-large committeemen and committeewomen all statewide elected officials who are members of such political party; up to four members of the United States Congress representing the state who are members of such political party and who shall be appointed by the state chair on the basis of geographic representation; the permanent presiding officer selected by the members of each house of the Legislature who are members of such political party; and the minority leader selected by the members of each house of the Legislature who are members of such political party.
- All members of the governing body shall have one vote per person.
History:
ss. 1, 2, 2A, ch. 22039, 1943; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 22678, 1945; s. 7, ch. 26870, 1951; s. 32, ch. 77-175; s. 1, ch. 78-1; s. 22, ch. 79-164; s. 3, ch. 81-312; s. 12, ch. 82-143; s. 3, ch. 83-242; s. 33, ch. 84-302; s. 17, ch. 87-363; s. 607, ch. 95-147; s. 2, ch. 95-197; s. 110, ch. 2003-261; s. 20, ch. 2005-286; s. 36, ch. 2007-30.
- Cross-References:
- Political Parties
1. Definition for Department
The Department of State. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(7).
2. Definition for Supervisor
The supervisor of elections. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(36).
3. Definition for Public Office
Any federal, state, county, municipal, school, or other district office or position which is filled by vote of the electors. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(32).
4. Definition for Public Office
A state, county, municipal, or school or other district office or position that is filled by vote of the electors. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(32).
5. Definition for Governing Body
As used in ss. 101.292-101.295, “governing body” means the board of county commissioners of a county or any other governing body empowered by general or special act or local ordinance to purchase or sell voting equipment. Fla. Stat. § 101.292(1).
6. Definition for General Election
An election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in the even-numbered years, for the purpose of filling national, state, county, and district offices and for voting on constitutional amendments not otherwise provided for by law. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(16).
7. Definition for Primary Election
An election held preceding the general election for the purpose of nominating a party nominee to be voted for in the general election to fill a national, state, county, or district office. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(29).
8. Definition for Minor Political Party
Any group as specified in s. 103.095 which on January 1 preceding a primary election does not have registered as members 5 percent of the total registered electors of the state. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(19).
9. Definition for Ballot
As used in the Electronic Voting Systems Act, ballot means the card, tape, or other vehicle upon which the elector’s choices are recorded. Fla. Stat. § 101.5603(2).
10. Definition for Person
An individual or a corporation, association, firm, partnership, joint venture, joint stock company, club, organization, estate, trust, business trust, syndicate, or other combination of individuals having collective capacity. The term includes a political party, affiliated party committee, or political committee. Fla. Stat. § 106.011(14).
11. Definition for Elector
“Elector” is synonymous with the word “voter” or “qualified elector or voter,” except where the word is used to describe presidential electors. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(15).
12. Definition for Election
Any primary election, special primary election, special election, general election, or presidential preference primary election. Fla. Stat. § 97.021(12).
13. Definition for Candidate
Any person to whom any one or more of the following applies: