Flagler County’s voting precincts will be reduced from 23 to 21 as far fewer people are turning out to vote in person on Election day itself, in contrast with sharp spikes in early voting and voting by mail. Early voting sites will increase from three to four, with Flagler Beach getting its own early voting site from here on, according to a plan by Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart.
Voting Rights
Revamped Lawsuit Targets DeSantis’s ‘Intentionally Racially Discriminatory’ Redistricting Plan
In documents filed in federal court in Tallahassee, voting-rights groups and five individual plaintiffs alleged that the plan Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed through the Legislature should be blocked because it will reduce — or eliminate — the chances of Black candidates being elected in North Florida and the Orlando area.
DeSantis Signs Voting Restrictions Into Law, But State Suspends Enforcement, Complying with Court Order
In a notice to Chief Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Secretary of State Laurel Lee said officials also would place a hold on provisions restricting use of ballot drop boxes to county election supervisors’ main or permanent branch offices used for early voting.
House Republicans Jam Through Redistricting Bill as Democrats’ Black Caucus Protest
After abandoning the chamber for a little more than an hour, Speaker Chris Sprowls and his fellow Republicans returned and called the vote on the DeSantis map, which eliminates Black “access” seats in North and Central Florida, cutting Black Democratic representation in half.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Florida’s New Limits on Voting Access, Calling It ‘Cynical Effort to Suppress Turnout’
A federal judge has stricken key voting restrictions that the Florida Legislature passed last year as unconstitutional, concluding that they make voting more difficult for everybody but “intentionally target” minorities and “unduly” burden disabled voters.
DeSantis Wanted His Own Re-Districting Plan, so He Vetoes Legislature’s and Orders Special Session
DeSantis threatened the veto even before the Legislature ignored his demand that lawmakers follow his own plan for drawing new districts — a plan that diminishes Black voting power and would give the GOP 18 of the 28 seats to which Florida is entitled following the 2020 U.S. Census.
Federal Judge Orders Information on Florida’s Newest Bill Regulating Voting
A federal judge considering a constitutional challenge to a 2021 state elections law ordered attorneys Monday to quickly file briefs about the potential effects of a bill that the Legislature passed this month to make further changes in the elections system.
Mason-Dixon 2.0: Some States Make It Easier To Vote, Some Harder.
There’s been a good deal of crying foul about what are being called anti-democratic new state laws that make it harder to vote. But it turns out such laws might have little impact on voter turnout and vote margins in an election.
A Fringe Legal Theory Could Reshape State Election Laws
The U.S. Supreme Court this month left open the possibility that it could endorse a fringe conservative legal theory–the “independent state legislature doctrine”–that would give state legislatures unchecked powers over election rules before the 2024 presidential election.
‘Is Our Democracy At Risk?’ Answer Question in Flagler/Volusia ACLU Essay Contest; $850 in Prize Money
If you’re a high school student in Flagler or Volusia counties, here’s your chance to answer the question in an original essay of up to 2,000 words and participate in the ACLU of Florida’s annual essay contest, with cash prizes sponsored by FlaglerLive. The deadline is April 4.