MIAMI - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed two unanimously approved bipartisan bills that would have imposed new safety rules for electric bicycles and scooters while expanding opportunities for high school students to volunteer at polling places.
The vetoes, announced Thursday, halted measures that had sailed through both chambers of the Florida Legislature without a single opposing vote, underscoring the governor's willingness to break with lawmakers even on broadly supported proposals.
One of the rejected measures, Senate Bill 382, sought to establish statewide safety standards for electric bicycles and scooters as their popularity continues to grow across Florida. The bill would have required riders traveling within 50 feet of pedestrians to slow to no more than 10 mph and created a task force to recommend additional regulations for the fast-growing micromobility industry.
In his veto message, DeSantis argued that the speed requirement would be difficult for riders to measure in real time and warned it could encourage greater government surveillance.
"The bill establishes a standard that would certainly be difficult for a bicyclist to measure when safely operating an e-bike," the governor wrote. He also argued the proposal would "inevitably be enforced with speed detection and surveillance devices" and said it "will likely lead to enhanced surveillance by local governments against citizens."
The governor also objected to creating a task force while simultaneously implementing new regulations before that panel had an opportunity to make recommendations.
The second veto targeted House Bill 461, legislation intended to encourage civic engagement by allowing high school students to earn community service credit for working as assistant poll workers during elections.
Although DeSantis praised the sponsors' intentions, he said the bill could unintentionally undermine Florida's election safeguards.
In his veto letter, the governor expressed concern that the measure "may result in an avenue for polls to be staffed with volunteers that may not be subject to Florida's prohibition on single party registered poll workers for general elections." He also pointed to support for the legislation from the Southern Poverty Law Center, suggesting that backing reinforced his concerns about the bill's potential consequences.
The vetoes mark the governor's first rejection of legislation passed during Florida's 2026 legislative session. A third unanimously approved bill, which would have created an exemption allowing the town of Davie to install a sign promoting its agricultural heritage near Interstate 75, was also vetoed because DeSantis said it could jeopardize federal transportation funding.
The decisions leave supporters of both measures back at square one. Lawmakers would need to override the vetoes or reintroduce revised versions of the bills in a future legislative session.
The Legislature had overwhelmingly embraced both proposals, with supporters of the e-bike bill citing growing safety concerns as electric bicycles and scooters become increasingly common on Florida streets and trails. Advocates of the student poll worker measure argued it would help recruit the next generation of civic leaders while providing much-needed assistance to election officials during voting periods.
Instead, both initiatives now join the growing list of bipartisan legislation blocked by DeSantis, whose veto messages emphasized concerns over government surveillance, election integrity and the unintended consequences of expanding state policy.
