TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Florida voters could be asked to make the secretary of state an elected Cabinet position again under a bill passed by the Senate.
The Senate voted 33-2 to put the proposal on the 2018 ballot.
Voters approved a restructuring of the Cabinet in 1998 that made the secretary of state a position appointed by the governor beginning in 2003.
The Cabinet now only has four members, including the governor, leaving the potential for a tie vote.
The secretary of state is responsible for overseeing elections, and bill supporters say the position should be directly accountable to Floridians.
The House still has to approve the measure, but it doesn't have to be approved by Gov. Rick Scott.
The secretary of state would be an elected position again in 2022 if 60 percent of voters approve.
