Florida legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Florida H91: Candidate Qualification
Status: Chaptered, April 2, 2026
Specifying that a person seeking to qualify for office as a candidate must be a registered member of a political party, or registered without any party affiliation, for 365 consecutive days preceding the beginning of qualifying for an election; specifying that such person may not have legally changed his or her name through a specified petition during such 365-day period; providing that compliance with specified requirements is mandatory; providing construction; authorizing qualified candidates or certain political parties to challenge compliance with specified provisions by filing suit in a specified circuit court; prohibiting a person from being qualified as a candidate for nomination or election and appearing on the ballot under specified circumstances.
What the bill says
An act relating to candidate qualification; amending s. 99.021, F.S.; specifying that a person seeking to qualify for office as a candidate must be a registered member of a political party, or registered without any party affiliation, for 365 consecutive days preceding the beginning of qualifying for an election; specifying that such person may not have legally changed his or her name through a specified petition during such 365-day period; providing applicability; providing that compliance with specified requirements is mandatory; providing construction…
From the enrolled text, February 26, 2026:
An act relating to candidate qualification; amending s. 99.021, F.S.; specifying that a person seeking to qualify for office as a candidate must be a registered member of a political party, or registered without any party affiliation, for 365 consecutive days preceding the beginning of qualifying for an election; specifying that such person may not have legally changed his or her name through a specified petition during such 365-day period; providing applicability; providing that compliance with specified requirements is mandatory; providing construction; authorizing qualified candidates or certain political parties to challenge compliance with specified provisions by filing suit in a specified circuit court; prohibiting a person from being qualified as a candidate for nomination or election and appearing on the ballot under specified circumstances; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) of section 99.021, Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraphs (f) and (g) are added to that subsection, to read: ENROLLED CS/HB 91, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb91 -02-er Page 2 of FLORIDAHOUSEOFREPRESENTATIVES 99.021 Form of candidate oath.— (1) (b) In addition, any person seeking to qualify for nomination as a candidate of any political party shall, at the time of subscribing to the …