Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed an elections overhaul that was one of the most-contentious issues of the 2021 legislative session, as opponents immediately filed two lawsuits alleging that the measure is unconstitutional.
DeSantis, who will be on the ballot in 2022 as he seeks a second term as governor, signed the bill (SB 90) on the Fox News show “Fox & Friends” after an event with supporters in West Palm Beach.
Flanked by Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez and Republican lawmakers, DeSantis during the television appearance called the bill the “strongest election integrity measures in the country” and said it “keeps us ahead of the curve” after Florida had a smooth 2020 election.
“We’re not resting on our laurels, and me signing this bill here says, ‘Florida, your vote counts, your vote is going to be cast with integrity and transparency, and this is a great place for democracy,’” DeSantis said.
But a coalition of opponents, including the League of Women Voters of Florida, Black Voters Matter Fund Inc. and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Tallahassee, contending that the bill violates First Amendment rights and would place an “undue burden on the right to vote.” The lawsuit named as defendants Secretary of State Laurel Lee, Attorney General Ashley Moody and county supervisors of elections from throughout Florida.
“SB 90 does not impede all of Florida’s voters equally. It is crafted to and will operate to make it more difficult for certain types of voters to participate in the state’s elections, including those voters who generally wish to vote with a vote-by-mail ballot and voters who have historically had to overcome substantial hurdles to reach the ballot box, such as Florida’s senior voters, youngest voters and minority
voters,” the lawsuit said.
Separately, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP, Disability Rights Florida and Common Cause filed a federal lawsuit alleging that bill is unconstitutional and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The 2021 voter suppression law is just the latest in a long line of voter suppression laws targeting Florida’s Black voters, Latino voters, and voters with disabilities.” said the lawsuit, which was filed in Tallahassee and named Lee as the defendant. “For far too long, Florida’s lawmakers and elected officials have created a vast array of hurdles that have made it more difficult for these and other voters to make their voices heard.”
DeSantis and GOP lawmakers argued that the bill, which addresses issues such as voting by mail, is needed to ensure secure elections. But Democrats and many voting-rights groups said the bill would suppress voting after a November election in which Democrats far outdistanced Republicans in voting by mail amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Republican lawmakers in many states have pushed for new elections restrictions as former President Donald Trump has continued to falsely blame “rigged” and fraudulent elections for Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in November. Courts rejected numerous lawsuits in which Trump and his supporters challenged the handling of the November elections. Trump defeated Biden handily in Florida.
The Florida bill addresses a series of issues, including the use of drop boxes for mail-in ballots. Drop boxes became a flashpoint last year, as elections officials wrangled with DeSantis’ administration over the location of the boxes and whether they needed to be manned at all times.
The bill will allow supervisors to use drop boxes at early voting sites and “permanent” branch offices, so long as the boxes are staffed by their employees. Among other changes, the bill will require voters to request mail-in ballots more frequently than in the past.
Also, DeSantis said the bill addresses issues such as preventing ballot “harvesting,” which involves people and groups being able to collect and deliver ballots for voters.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide elected Democrat, criticized the bill this week, saying it would disenfranchise voters.
“They came for your voting rights with SB 90, limiting mail ballots and drop boxes which proved essential during a global pandemic,” Fried said.
Even before DeSantis signed the bill, some opponents were threatening to challenge the changes in court. The League of United Latin American Citizens sent out a news release early Thursday saying it plans to file a lawsuit against the state.
“These changes are deliberately designed to affect mostly people of color and are being enacted at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis,” Domingo Garcia, national president of the group known as LULAC, said in a prepared statement. “Voter suppression aimed at American citizens just because they are brown or black is disgraceful, un-American, and frankly unprincipled.”
–Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida
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Merrill S Shapiro says
That’s Ron DeSantis! Taking away our rights one at a time!
Linda says
This is so transparent it’s sickening. Funny how only ONE news outlet was “allowed” to witness this and a fine one at that! Fox News, go figure…
Mike Cocchiola says
For every DeSantis and Trump there are a thousand Bidens and Obamas. They win a few battles for hate, fear and oppression. We will win the war for democracy.
Ray W. says
Actually, there appears to be no shortage of Trump wannabes and misguided supporters hanging onto his coattails, DeSantis being one of them. Trump supporters are still being arrested in droves for attempting to undermine our democracy. It is difficult for Mike Cocchiola to win an argument whenever he starts with a losing point or three.
Steve says
Howd that 2020 Election and run off in Ga work for you . Didn’t the Senate lose Majority as well. Just sayin
Mondexmomma says
I call BS on those suing. You need a valid I to collect welfare, go to the doctors along with purchasing cigarettes and booze. As far as voting boxes if you can take a bus to get your cigarettes and booze and voting means as much to you as your vices get on the bus to cast your ballot. I ride the bus. So I am calling BS to everyone crying boo hoo and suing. Just another attempt for voters fraud. Still a cloudy mess from 2020. If anything that been proven that should have proven it.
Election integrity all the way. ID and No vote harvesting by mail in voting. Bravo for DeSantis. If voting means that much to you it will be worth casting your vote the NON LAZY WAY. I know it does to me.
Florida Voter says
Where to start …
1a) Please consider that here are people who are not like you. 1b) Not everyone collects welfare, smokes or drinks. 1c) I know plenty of elderly who did/do not have a valid ID because they stopped driving a decade or more ago. Did they also give up their right to vote? What does the Constitution say? (Some political ideologies are all about the Constitution … that’s where every law should start, but the Constitution is silent on some details.)
2) How much does voting need to mean to someone for them to have the right to vote? Again, what does the Constitution say?
3) Not everybody can ride the bus. First, that requires a bus system (some places have worse public transit than Flagler). Mobility is an issue, so leaving the house is an extreme burden. Is mobility a condition to have the right to vote?
4) You can buy cigarettes and alcohol 24/7, but ballot drop boxes will have extremely limited hours. Anyone can buy cigarettes and alcohol for their neighbor, and anyone can deliver their neighbor’s ballot to a postal drop box, but ballot drop boxes are restricted on who can deliver a ballot. If you’re going to equate ballot drop boxes with buying alcohol, then access should be the same.
5) The only reason the 2020 election is a “cloudy mess” to some is that they continue to believe the “big lie” propagated by the people they should be able to trust and amplified by the right-wing extremist news outlets. The election was fair and had the highest level of integrity of any US election, so please pay attention to who is REALLY trying to steal the election and then “Stop the (actual) Steal”
And again, no one has EVER given me ANY reason why ballot drop boxes should have their access restricted when postal drop boxes are still open access. Since we have these ballot drop boxes, why force someone to trust their vote to our postal system where their ballot can get delayed, damaged, lost, etc?
Richard says
For those people who no longer have a driver’s license and drive they can apply for a Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Plus There are a litany of other legal forms of ID that are acceptable. So stop you crying and complaining. Or are you just another crying libbie trying to get their way? Plus if you don’t I’d bet you will call me a racists.
In fact here is the complete list from the state of Florida:
Acceptable Forms of ID at the Polling Place
State law requires a voter to present valid picture and signature identification at the polling place. (Florida Statute 101.043) Voters without acceptable identification may vote a provisional ballot, which will be evaluated later for eligibility by a canvassing board.
The following forms of identification will be accepted at the polling place:
(a) Florida driver license.
(b) Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
(c) United States passport.
(d) Debit or credit card.
(e) Military identification.
(f) Student identification.
(g) Retirement center identification.
(h) Neighborhood association identification.
(i) Public assistance identification.
(j) Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
(k) License to carry a concealed weapon for firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06, F.S.
(l) Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.
If the picture identification does not contain the signature of the voter, an additional identification that provides the voter’s signature shall be required.
Florida Voter says
So you addressed my first point, but none of the others. Oh, and thank you for the personal attack in your first paragraph. I guess you could say that I am a “another crying libbie trying to get their way” if I want everyone who has a right to vote to be able to vote in a reasonable manner (see points 2, 3, and 4).
And AGAIN: “no one has EVER given me ANY reason why ballot drop boxes should have their access restricted when postal drop boxes are still open access.”
Flagler Conservative says
Your leftist excuses are hilarious. The elderly get social security, bank account, dr office, prescriptions, you name it! Oh and FYI… if they have a mailbox you can MAIL IN YOUR “MAIL IN BALLOT”. Brains people…. come on… use them.
Florida Voter says
And AGAIN: “no one has EVER given me ANY reason why ballot drop boxes should have their access restricted when postal drop boxes are still open access.”
Your (insert appropriate personal comment) views are hilarious. There are ZERO reasons for restricting ballot drop boxes (that’s what my whole post was about). Ballot drop boxes are FAR more secure than the postal system (reliability, number of people that process it, etc), so why restrict ballot drop boxes? As I pointed out, I did reference the fact that “mail in ballots” can be mailed in (maybe you didn’t read that part), “why force someone to trust their vote to our postal system where their ballot can get delayed, damaged, lost, etc?”
Steve says
The largest most secure fair Election in History. Over 60 suits thrown out and countless recounts to no avail. There is no cloudy mess on 2020. Its over get over it. I have Voted by mail by choice for two decades. The only Mass Attempted Voter Fraud was by the orange blowhard trying to change of find votes in every State he thought he should have won. Dont let the facts get in the way of a rant on Voter disinformation.
Linda says
After he started all this crap, he applied for his vote by mail ballot…
Florida Voter says
Can someone please tell me why access to ballot drop boxes needs to be restricted while the regular postal drop boxes are still unrestricted?
I still have yet to hear why ballot drop boxes need different rules than postal drop boxes. The postal system is know for extremely late mail and lost or damaged mail (especially since June 16, 2020). Ballot drop boxes skip that risk and reduce the number of people who can handle (hence manipulate, alter, forge) the ballots. Why restrict the “safe” system and leave the “unsafe” system unrestricted?
Steve says
So less will Vote and to to try and tip the scale for Republicans IMO