About Our Agency

Composition of the Commission
The Commission is composed of nine members appointed by the Governor. The Governor appoints all the members except the Chair from lists of six names provided to him by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the minority leaders of both houses. The Chair of the Commission serves for a maximum of four years with his or her term running concurrently with the term of the appointing Governor. The members of the Commission may serve no more than two full terms of four years. The law provides that Commissioners shall not be a member of any county, state, or national committee of a political party; an officer in any partisan political club, or organization; or hold, or be a candidate for, any other public office. The law provides that no person is eligible for appointment to the Commission if they held an elected office in the year immediately preceding their appointment. No more than five Commissioners can be from the same political party at any one time. See Section 106.24, Florida Statutes.

Organization
The Commission is housed within the Department of Legal Affairs, Office of the Attorney General. However, the Commission is a separate budget entity. It is not subject to the control, supervision, or direction of the Department of Legal Affairs or the Attorney General in the performance of its duties. The Commissioners act as agency head and appoint an Executive Director to employ and supervise 15 full-time staff, including a Chief of Staff, attorneys, investigators, and administrative personnel.

Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction to investigate and determine violations of Chapters 104 and 106 rests with the Florida Elections Commission. The Commission investigates all violations of Chapters 104 and 106, Florida Statutes, but only after receiving either a legally sufficient sworn complaint or information reported to it by the Division of Elections. See Section 106.25, Florida Statutes.

Rules
Commission rules are in Rule 2B-1, Florida Administrative Code. The Commission's operations are governed by the Uniform Rules of Procedure in Chapter 28, Florida Administrative Code.