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Florida governor signs Republican-backed law imposing new voting curbs

Published 05/06/2021, 09:02 AM
Updated 05/06/2021, 02:13 PM
© Reuters. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the welcome segment of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

© Reuters. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the welcome segment of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

By Julia Harte

(Reuters) -Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill imposing new limits on voting by mail and using ballot drop boxes, the latest Republican-backed voting restrictions to become law in a U.S. election battleground state.

The new law restricts the use of absentee ballot drop boxes to the early voting period, adds new identification requirements for requesting such ballots, and requires voters to reapply for absentee ballots in each new general election cycle. Previously, Florida voters only had to apply once every two election cycles.

The law also gives partisan election observers more power to raise objections and requires people offering voters assistance to stay at least 150 feet (45 meters) away from polling places, an increase from the previous 100-foot (30-meter) radius.

Republican legislators in dozens of states have pursued measures to restrict voting rights in the aftermath of former President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud. Lawmakers in the Texas House of Representatives were poised on Thursday to advance sweeping new voting limits despite opposition from numerous businesses.

Minutes after DeSantis signed the law, the League of Women Voters of Florida and two other civil rights groups sued Florida's 67 counties to try to block the new restrictions. They are represented by Marc Elias, a Democratic lawyer who also sued Georgia over voting limits the state passed in March.

The Florida branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Disability Rights Florida and the good government group Common Cause also sued the state on Thursday, arguing the limits would disproportionately hurt Black, Latino and disabled voters.

Republican lawmakers have cited the unfounded claims made by Trump, a Florida absentee voter himself, after his decisive loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Judges rejected such claims in more than 60 lawsuits that failed to overturn the election result. Lawmakers in Republican-controlled states, including Georgia, Texas and Arizona, nevertheless proposed legislation they said was necessary to curb voter fraud, which is extremely rare in the United States.

DeSantis acknowledged in February that Florida had "held the smoothest, most successful election of any state in the country," but said new limits on absentee ballots were needed to safeguard election integrity.

DeSantis, who signed the law in an appearance on the Fox News Channel show "Fox & Friends," said, "Me signing this bill here says, 'Florida, your vote counts, your vote is going to be cast with integrity and transparency.'"

Mail-in ballots or absentee ballots were used by Democratic voters in greater numbers than Republicans in the 2020 election, as many people avoided in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic.

Florida Republicans used mail-in voting slightly more than Democrats in the 2014, 2016 and 2018 general elections. But in November, Democrats submitted 2.2 million mail-in ballots compared with 1.5 million from Republicans, state records show, after Trump falsely asserted for months that mail voting was rife with fraud.

© Reuters. U.S. Postal Service trays with mail-in ballots are seen during the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Miami, Florida, U.S., November 3, 2020. REUTERS/Marco Bello

In March, Georgia's Republican governor signed a law that tightened absentee ballot identification requirements, restricted ballot drop-box use and allowed a Republican-controlled state agency to take over local voting operations.

Democrats and voting rights advocates sued Georgia over the measure, saying it was aimed at disenfranchising Black voters, who helped propel Biden to the presidency and deliver Democrats two U.S. Senate victories in Georgia in January that gave them control of the chamber. Top U.S. companies also decried Georgia's law, and Major League Baseball moved its All-Star game out of the state in protest.

Latest comments

You misspelled "law protecting voter integrity".
I wonder why democrats are so opposed to anti-cheating laws?
You are so cute. Disinformation is the GOP way. Keep it up, the small minded people will believe you.
They're not opposed to anti-cheating. They're just opposed to restrictions that make it harder to vote - especially for low-income workers who can't easily take time off work to vote, or can't easily travel to the few remaining drop boxes. Republican law-makers know that most of those people tend to vote Democrat, so they push this through under the guise of 'anti-cheating'. I agree that voters should show ID and that promotes integrity. Great. But removing drop boxes and reducing early voting, and voting hours does nothing for reducing fraud. It just makes it harder for many people to vote.
 Apparently, you and chris don't know much about the new voter integrity laws.
He is ****it! The most promising politician in the USA for a decade
Excellent.
Democrats are only upset about this because it reduces voter fraud. Without voter fraud, they can't win elections.
Certifying elections is of the upmpst importance for any democracy...
Hmm... funny then how so many Trump supporters tried to stop certification last Jan. 6th. But they didn't really want a democracy. They wanted a 'Trumpocracy'.
Agreed, why would the GOP vote not to certify? Disinformation is the GOP way.
the title makes me sick! this is NOT a voting curb!
yeah then explain to me the need to restrict drop boxes, early voting period and why would they make voting assistants to stand far away from the voting place?
How does requiring voters to show ID hinder the process of voting? Unless you are corrupt Democrat party and cant win unless you cheat
 No, big brain, they do not have addresses recognized by the US government because they live on reservations. Thus they have to jump thru many more hoops to even get an ID (which they do not need for anything else)....this is targeted legislation, native americans vote Dem 98%, if you cannot see what is happening you are willfully ignorant.
 Actually, poor people have less access to transportation and free time to go vote. But I think it is great you want to make it harder on them. Go GOP, keep hating poor people.
 So you are a single Mom with two kids working 2 jobs....so easy to find the time. I agree, ****the poor, let's make it harder on them. GO GOP!
Showing ID strenghthens the election process, Democrats just want to cheat
they can go to local DMV get ID for $15
 They have no legal address you genius. The US Gov doesn't like to recognize addresses on a reservation. Thus the GOP can take advantage of this...way to go! You must be proud.
So those people don't care if they have a house, don't spend few hours getting ID....and GOP is guilty for what they are? speechless.
Trumpublicsns: Making a home in the 20th Century.
Florida #1
Starting from the bottom?
love how the media reports this voting integrity law as "voting curbs". it's sad that many people here failed to see the bias in the reporting
You see the bias that you want to see, Danny. Requiring ID and validating signatures is "voting integrity". Removing drop boxes is not. That's just making it harder to vote, especially people who can't miss work to vote, or live or work far from voting stations. And what a coincidence that most of them vote Democrat, right?
Only white land owners should vote. Still shocked the GOP allowed women the right to vote. But we will fix that by beating on Liz! Go rich white bigots!
Obviously you’ve internalized all the media lies. Everyone uses IDs for unemployment, social security, driving and much more. Why is it racist also require IDs to vote? Answer: Liberal leftists can no longer cheat!!
"Some on the reservation don’t see the benefits of the new addresses yet, Redhorse said. Worried about creditors or debt collectors, Redhorse said a handful of people have said to her, “You’re exposing us. You’re putting us out there. You’re letting people know where we live.”
 Great, so you agree, this is targeting Native Americans! How do they vote? See, now you are woke..you are welcome.
Thank you. Florida.
You know you are not Catholic, right? You cannot be that hateful and ignorant and follow the lord.
i am a devout Catholic, unlike mr biden.
 So Jesus was like you? I don't think so. You are a devout Trumpian and that is about all. Trump and Jesus have nothing in common. NOTHING!
Reuters is garbage. Communist propaganda.
John, please tell us what is so "communist" about reporting on how new restrictions are making it harder to vote.
biased hesdline
"curtailing access", "new hurdles", "Latest Republican-backed voting restriction"  Is this an editorial or news article?  Oh it's Reuters -- nevermind.
It's just truth that you don't like. And it's NEWS, not opinion.
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