"Last week, the Secretary of State's Office - which is run by a DeSantis appointee - issued a directive to the state's 67 county supervisors of elections that changed the process for signature verification. It gives instructions that several supervisors of elections said aren't backed up by state statute or case law established by previous court decisions. The directive included a final sentence that grabbed the attention of its recipients: "Please note that the Attorney General's Office is copied on this email.""
"It was the latest in a series of moves by the Secretary of State's Office that have the effect of reducing the number of verified petition signatures. The latest change in policy comes at a critical time. Matthews told supervisors what she wanted them to do via an email that went out late in the day on Jan. 8, just weeks before the deadline for sponsors of the proposed marijuana amendment to have sufficient signatures verified to get on the ballot."
Gov. Ron DeSantis controls a state agency that issued last-minute instructions for verifying petition signatures, potentially impeding a 2026 referendum to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida. The Secretary of State's Office, run by a DeSantis appointee, directed 67 county supervisors of elections to change signature verification procedures that several supervisors say lack support in state statute or established case law. The directive included a note that the Attorney General's Office was copied. The guidance arrives weeks before the signature-verification deadline and follows earlier moves by the office that reduced verified petition counts.
Read at Sun Sentinel
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