Our History

In 1951, the Legislature revised the Florida Election Code and added the requirement that candidates file reports listing all contributions received and expenditures made by their campaigns and that they make all expenditures from their campaign accounts. This legislation is often referred to as the "Who Gave It Who Got It" law.

In 1973, the Legislature passed what is now Chapter 106, Florida Statutes, and created the Florida Elections Commission to enforce campaign financing provisions. The legislation added more detailed reporting requirements than previously existed and regulated political committees and committees of continuous existence. In 1998, the Legislature delegated to the Commission the responsibility to enforce the provisions of Chapter 104, Florida Statutes.

The Commission is composed of nine members appointed by the Governor. The Governor appoints all the members except the Chair from lists of 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.