April 3, 2025
TALLAHASSEE — All Voting is Local Florida State Director Brad Ashwell issued the following statement in response to House Bill 1205, which would impose overly strict requirements on Florida’s citizen-led amendment process, passed on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives today:
“The citizen-led amendment process allows Floridians to take democracy into their own hands. This is especially important in a state where lawmakers are constantly pushing for repressive voting legislation and making it harder for voters to access the ballot box and have their voices heard. Citizen-led amendments have created incredibly positive reforms like a raised minimum wage, the state’s free pre-kindergarten program, and multiple environmental conservation laws.
“By imposing a 10-day timeline on signed petition forms, Florida politicians would effectively get rid of citizen-led amendments and eliminate a proven way for people to participate in the state’s democratic processes. Point blank, this is an attack on our democracy and follows an undeniable pattern in Florida where state officials want to silence anyone who doesn’t agree with them and ensure people can’t decide for themselves how they’re governed.”
Background
House Bill 1205 effectively eliminates the process by which grassroots petitions can become referendums placed on ballots. It also includes other provisions that would weaken Florida elections if passed by the Senate.
The bill would also make it a first-degree misdemeanor for any voter who accidentally signs a petition twice. Additionally, the Office of Election Crimes and Security will investigate petition sponsors who fail to meet a 90 percent validation rate for every reporting period—an unrealistic rate that no campaign has ever met.
The bill also gives the legislature authority to essentially rewrite petitions if they deem that terms are not defined.