99.095  Alternative method of qualifying.--

(1)  A person seeking to qualify for nomination to any office may qualify to have his or her name placed on the ballot for the first primary election by means of the petitioning process prescribed in this section. A person qualifying by this alternative method shall not be required to pay the qualifying fee or party assessment required by this chapter. A person using this petitioning process shall file an oath with the officer before whom the candidate would qualify for the office stating that he or she intends to qualify by this alternative method for the office sought. If the person is running for an office which will be grouped on the ballot with two or more similar offices to be filled at the same election, the candidate must indicate in his or her oath for which group or district office he or she is running. The oath shall be filed at any time after the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January of the year in which the first primary is held, but prior to the 21st day preceding the first day of the qualifying period for the office sought. The Department of State shall prescribe the form to be used in administering and filing such oath. No signatures shall be obtained by a candidate on any nominating petition until the candidate has filed the oath required in this section. If the person is running for an office which will be grouped on the ballot with two or more similar offices to be filled at the same election and the petition does not indicate the group or district office for which the person is running, the signatures obtained on such petition will not be counted.

(2)  Upon receipt of a written oath from a candidate, the qualifying officer shall provide the candidate with petition forms in sufficient numbers to facilitate the gathering of signatures pursuant to this section. Such forms shall be prescribed by the Department of State.

(3)  When a candidate has filed the oath prescribed in subsection (1), the candidate may begin to seek signatures on petitions supporting his or her candidacy. Only signatures of electors who are registered in the political party by which the candidate seeks to be nominated and who are registered to vote in the county, district, or other geographical entity represented by the office sought shall be counted toward obtaining the minimum numbers of signatures prescribed in this subsection. A candidate for an office elected on a statewide basis shall obtain the signatures of a number of qualified electors equal to at least 3 percent of the total number of registered electors of Florida who are registered in the party by which the candidate seeks nomination, as shown by the compilation by the Department of State for the last preceding general election. A candidate for any federal, state, county, or district office to be elected on less than a statewide basis shall obtain the signatures of a number of qualified electors of the district, county, or other geographical entity equal to at least 3 percent of the total number of registered voters of the party by which the candidate seeks nomination that are registered within the district, county, or other geographical entity represented by the office sought, as shown by the compilation by the Department of State for the last preceding general election. A separate petition shall be circulated for each candidate availing himself or herself of the provisions of this section. However, candidates for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor forming joint candidacies shall use the same nominating petition for both candidates.

(4)(a)  Each candidate for nomination to federal, state, or multicounty district office shall file a separate petition for each county from which signatures are sought. Each petition shall be submitted, prior to noon of the 21st day preceding the first day of the qualifying period for the office sought, to the supervisor of elections of the county for which such petition is circulated. Each supervisor of elections to whom a petition is submitted shall check the signatures on the petition to verify their status as electors of the political party by which the candidate seeks nomination and of that county, district, or other geographical unit represented by the office being sought by the candidate. Prior to the first date for qualifying, the supervisor shall certify the number shown as registered electors of such county, district, or other geographical unit and of the appropriate political party and submit such certification to the Department of State. The Department of State shall determine whether the required number of signatures has been obtained for the name of the candidate to be placed on the ballot and shall notify the candidate. If the required number of signatures has been obtained, the candidate shall, during the time prescribed for qualifying for office, submit a copy of such notice to, and file his or her qualifying papers and oath prescribed by s. 99.021 with, the Department of State. Upon receipt of the copy of such notice and the qualifying papers, the department shall certify the name of the candidate to the appropriate supervisor or supervisors of elections as having qualified for the office sought.

(b)  Each candidate for nomination to a county office, or district office not covered by paragraph (a), shall submit his or her petition, prior to noon of the 21st day preceding the first day of the qualifying period for the office sought, to the supervisor of elections of the county for which the petition was circulated. The supervisor shall check the signatures on the petition to verify their status as electors of the political party for which the candidate seeks nomination and of the county, district, or other geographical entity represented by the office being sought. Prior to the first date for qualifying, the supervisor shall determine whether the required number of signatures has been obtained for the name of the candidate to be placed on the ballot and shall notify the candidate. If the required number of signatures has been obtained, the candidate shall, during the time prescribed for qualifying for office, submit a copy of the notice and file his or her qualifying papers and oath prescribed by s. 99.021 with the supervisor of elections. Upon receipt of the copy of such notice and the qualifying papers by the supervisor of elections, such candidate shall be entitled to have his or her name printed on the ballot.