Florida Republicans Pass Restrictive Voting Bill

"Offcial ballot drop box" signs are seen at Westchester Regional Library in Miami, Florida on October 19, 2020. - Early voting kicked off Monday in Florida, a pivotal state fought over relentlessly by President Donal... "Offcial ballot drop box" signs are seen at Westchester Regional Library in Miami, Florida on October 19, 2020. - Early voting kicked off Monday in Florida, a pivotal state fought over relentlessly by President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden as their contentious White House race enters its final 15-day stretch. Record numbers of Americans have already cast ballots in person or by mail -- 28.6 million, according to one tracker -- ahead of the November 3 election, as the rivals race from one swing state to another to marshal support. (Photo by Eva Marie UZCATEGUI / AFP) (Photo by EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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The GOP-controlled Florida Legislature passed an election overhaul bill on Thursday that is set to restrict voting in one of the nation’s most critical battleground states. 

The bill passed largely along party lines in the state Senate — 23 to 17 — though one Republican state senator, Jeff Brandes, voted against it.

The development comes after the Florida House passed the bill known as SB 90 on  Wednesday afternoon. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is expected to sign the legislation after indicating his support for the voting overhaul which is expected to limit access to voting in the state.

The move comes after a shift in the 2020 elections cycle demonstrated growing popularity among Democrats for an existing tradition of mail-in voting in the Sunshine State during the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 2.1 million Democrats cast mail ballots, compared with roughly 1.4 million Republicans. The practice was historically favored by Republicans — but former President Donald Trump had waged a concerted effort to falsely discredit mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 presidential elections.

The new measures — which limit the use of drop boxes and add stricter identification requirements for voters requesting absentee ballots — are anticipated by voting experts to disproportionately affect voters of color. 

In addition to those changes, the bill would also require voters to request an absentee ballot for each election, would limit who could collect and drop off ballots and would further empower partisan observers during ballot-counting. The legislation would also expand an existing rule that bars outside groups from providing items “with the intent to influence” voters within a 150-foot radius of a polling location.

The legislation comes on the heels of similar election laws passed recently by Georgia, and comes as Texas, Arizona and other Republican-led states pursue limits on access to the ballot.

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  1. Ok, Corporate America, you know what to do.

    Hopefully…

  2. Agreed… but IMO not bloody likely

  3. I don’t think this will work as they think. In this case many of the provisions are going to burden Bubba just as much as Tyrone but Tyrone’s been playing the game much longer.

  4. The new measures [are expected] to disproportionately affect [Democratic] voters.

    In the long term Republicans must be run out of town on a rail.

    In the short term voters need help.

  5. Cheating is supposed to be something you do furtively: not something you telegraph and publicly announce using loudspeakers. It is both bizarre and truly disturbing. The GOP is becoming more desperate and dangerous than I ever imagined.

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