Federal Judge Blocks New Florida Election Rules

Obama appointee calls restrictions unconstitutional
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 4, 2023 9:45 AM CDT
Federal Judge Blocks New Florida Election Rules
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia on Friday.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A federal judge on Monday blocked Florida from enforcing part of a new elections law that bans noncitizens from handling or collecting voter registration forms, saying the state can't restrict individual rights and gave no proof it was necessary to do so. The ruling also blocks a ban on third-party voter registration groups retaining personal information collected when registering new voters, per the AP. "The State of Florida is correct to seek integrity in our electoral system," Judge Mark Walker wrote. "Here, however, Florida's solutions for preserving election integrity are too far removed from the problems it has put forward as justifications."

The NAACP and other groups that register voters sued the state over provisions in a larger elections bill Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on the same day he announced he was running for president. Opponents say it makes registering voters in marginalized communities more difficult, while Republicans say it makes elections more secure. Politico notes that Walker is an appointee of former President Obama who has previously ruled against the state in regard to election challenges.

"Florida may, of course, regulate elections, including the voter registration process," Walker wrote in his 58-page ruling, per the Hill. "Here, however, the challenged provisions exemplify something Florida has struggled with in recent years; namely, governing within the bounds set by the United States Constitution." DeSantis' office didn't immediately comment on the ruling. (More Florida stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X