February 04, 2022
Florida Alliance’s Lawsuit Against the State’s Restrictive Voting Law Goes to Court
Witness testimony began Monday in a lawsuit challenging the state of Florida’s restrictive voting law. The Florida Alliance is a plaintiff in the suit, which is being held by teleconference due to the pandemic.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping voter suppression bill on May 6, 2021 that restricts access to the ballot box for millions of voters. As soon as the legislation was signed into law, the Florida Alliance, the League of Women Voters of Florida, the Black Voters Matter Fund and several individual Florida voters filed a lawsuit challenging it against the state of Florida and every county election board.
The lawsuit challenges specific provisions in the bill that:
- Impose restrictions on drop boxes voters use to return mail ballots;
- Effectively ban organizations and volunteers from helping voters return their mail ballots;
- Require voters to request mail ballots more frequently; and
- Ban any non-poll worker from giving food or drink, including water, to voters waiting in line to vote.
“We’ve been waiting to get our day in court,” said Bill Sauers, President of the Florida Alliance. “This law will make it more difficult for millions of Florida citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote, and it is unnecessary. Older Floridians take the right to vote seriously, and we will fight any attempt to keep our voices from being heard at the ballot box.”
Florida is one of 19 states that enacted legislation in 2021 that suppresses voting rights.
