SB 350 - This act creates the Office of Election Crimes and Security within the office of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is responsible for appointing a director. The Office is given the following responsibilities and authority: · The Office may review complaints and conduct investigations into alleged violations of election laws;
· The Office shall oversee a voter fraud hotline;
· For purposes of investigation, the Office shall have the authority to receive sworn statements and to issue subpoenas to compel the production of records, books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, contracts, agreements, and other documents by subpoena or otherwise when necessary to conduct an investigation pursuant to this act.
The Office is given subpoena power in the course of investigating complaints pursuant to this act. If any person refuses to comply with a subpoena issued pursuant to this act, the Secretary of State may seek to enforce the subpoena before a court of competent jurisdiction. The court may issue an order requiring the person to produce the documents relating to the matter under investigation or in question. Any person who fails to comply with the order may be held in contempt of court.
The Office is responsible for preparing and delivering a report, not later than January 15th of each year, to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tem of the Senate disclosing the details of complaints filed with the office.
Members of the Office are permitted to enter polling places and election authority offices during the absentee voting period, on election day, and during the canvassing of votes for the purpose of investigating any potential violation of election laws.
The Attorney General is given investigate authority and concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute any election offense.
SCOTT SVAGERA