Paula Stark, a Republican candidate for Florida House District 47, filed her qualifying paperwork less than 30 minutes before the June 12 noon deadline, leading to a lawsuit over her eligibility. State law requires submission of Form 6, a financial disclosure, to qualify, and election officials say the form was not received. Secretary of State Cord Byrd asked the Leon Circuit Court to block Stark from appearing on the ballot, citing missing paperwork and statements from election staff. Five employees submitted sworn declarations that Treasurer Joel Davis did not submit Form 6 and was not given the form back during final submission. Election Records Division Bureau Chief Erica “Ikay” Reeve said the office cannot verify Stark’s qualification without the form. She noted Stark was one of 12 candidates who failed to submit the required form, half of whom corrected the issue and qualified. Reeve also highlighted other campaign finance issues, including a late filing report, excessive contributions, an incorrect address on file, and past audits indicating inconsistent transfers and unpaid fines, which led to the revocation of her political committee in November for $16,000 in unpaid penalties. The August primary for the district will be open to all voters if Stark remains off the ballot, as no other Republican candidates filed. Ballots for overseas military must be mailed by July 4, with vote‑by‑mail ballots scheduled for July 9‑16, and Byrd warned that altering the contest could cause confusion and increase costs. The lawsuit will determine whether the August primary includes a contested Republican race or only Democratic candidates.