TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - A proposal to make Florida's secretary of state an elected position has again emerged in the Senate.
This is the fourth consecutive year the proposal has been introduced.
Florida had an elected secretary of state until 2003.
That's when the position became appointed under a constitutional amendment that shrank the Cabinet from six to three members.
The secretary of state is now appointed by the governor.
Proponents of an elected secretary of state, including Senate bill sponsor Aaron Bean, argue the move would avoid "awkward" situations or even conflicts of interest in election disputes.
"Now, more than ever, it is topical to have an independent person, who is directly responsible to and accountable to the voters for our election system. That person should be an independently elected secretary of state," said State Senator Aaron Bean.
Bean's proposal cleared the Senate in 2017, when it was approved in a 33 to 2 vote.
However, the proposal has drawn little support from the House.
The new proposal is filed for the 2019 legislative session, which starts in March.
