Florida Legislature Passes Election Integrity Overhaul, Sends to Gov. DeSantis

Bill expands citizenship verification, tightens candidate qualifications, and revises voter ID requirements

Mar. 13, 2026 at 1:04am

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The Florida Legislature has approved a sweeping overhaul of the state's election procedures, sending a controversial bill to Governor Ron DeSantis just a day before the end of the legislative session. The proposal expands citizenship verification for voter registration, tightens candidate qualification rules, and revises the forms of identification that voters may present at the polls.

Why it matters

The legislation is seen as Florida's version of the federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, aimed at modernizing the state's election system and closing gaps in how citizenship is verified during voter registration. However, Democrats have criticized the new restrictions, arguing they will make it harder for certain groups, like students, to vote.

The details

Under the measure, Florida's online voter registration system would compare applicants' identifying information against records maintained by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). If records show proof of citizenship is not on file, the application would be forwarded to the county Supervisor of Elections for further review. The bill also revises the types of identification voters may present at polling places, removing student and retirement facility IDs from the list of acceptable forms.

  • The Senate passed the amended bill on March 13, 2026.
  • The House then approved the revised bill on March 13, 2026.
  • The legislation will head to the Governor for final approval with just one day left in the regular 2026 Legislative Session.
  • If signed or allowed to become law, several provisions would take effect immediately, while others would take effect on January 1.

The players

Ron DeSantis

The Governor of Florida who will receive the election integrity overhaul bill for final approval.

Jenna Persons-Mulicka

The Republican Representative from Fort Myers who sponsored HB 991, the House version of the election integrity bill.

Erin Grall

The Republican Senator from Vero Beach whose election proposal (SB 1334) was incorporated into the Senate's rewrite of the House bill.

Anna Eskamani

The Democratic Representative from Orlando who criticized the bill for making it harder for students to vote by removing student IDs as an acceptable form of voter identification.

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What they’re saying

“Today Florida continues to lead the nation in election integrity as we pass our version of the SAVE Act, and I ask for your favorable support.”

— Jenna Persons-Mulicka, Republican Representative (floridapolitics.com)

“When you take away student ID's, you're taking away a pathway for students to vote. We've passed many bills off this floor that have to do with free speech, that have to do with censoring speech, that have to do with activities on a college campus, we should make it easier for students to exercise their ability to choose their representatives. By taking away student IDs as a use of verification at the polling location we are intentionally making it harder for students to vote, and there's no way you can sugarcoat that. That's just what the intention is.”

— Anna Eskamani, Democratic Representative (floridapolitics.com)

What’s next

The bill will now head to Governor Ron DeSantis for final approval, with just one day left in the regular 2026 Legislative Session. If signed or allowed to become law, several provisions would take effect immediately, while others would take effect on January 1.

The takeaway

This election integrity overhaul is seen as Florida's version of the federal SAVE Act, aimed at modernizing the state's election system and tightening voter registration and identification requirements. However, the changes have drawn criticism from Democrats who argue they will make it harder for certain groups, like students, to exercise their right to vote.