A federal judge on Monday blocked what he called “Florida’s latest assault on the right to vote” in a preliminary injunction against a Republican-backed law putting new restrictions on groups that register voters.
In a 58-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said both a provision barring noncitizens from collecting voter registration applications and a provision mandating that such groups store applicant information were unconstitutional.
“The challenged provisions exemplify something Florida has struggled with in recent years; namely, governing within the bounds set by the United States Constitution,” Walker wrote.
“When state government power threatens to spread beyond constitutional bounds and reduce individual rights to ashes, the federal judiciary stands as a firewall,” wrote Walker, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
“The Free State of Florida is simply not free to exceed the bounds of the United States Constitution,” Walker wrote, using a turn of phrase favored by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, to describe the state.
In the legislation, which DeSantis signed into law at the end of May, voter registration groups can be fined $50,000 if they have noncitizens ― including permanent residents ― or people convicted of certain felonies collecting applications.
Organizations that focus on registering Black and Latino voters challenged the law, arguing the restrictions prevented them from doing their work. The groups included Florida State Conference of Branches and Youth Units of the NAACP, Equal Ground Education Fund, Voters of Tomorrow, Disability Rights Florida, Alianza for Progress, Hispanic Federation and Poder Latinx.
Voting rights groups and Florida Democrats cheered the ruling.
“This ruling is a win for all Floridians — especially for underrepresented communities who rely on nonpartisan organizations like us to help make their voices heard,” said Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation.
“Our democracy works best when everyone has access to the ballot box, and I applaud the court for recognizing that and actively protecting the rights of Floridians,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement.
The ACLU Voting Rights Project argued the preliminary injunction motion on behalf of the challengers. “The court was right to block this law because it was a clear and brazen attack on civic participation in our democracy,” deputy director Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux said.
The legislation is part of a broader attack on voter rights by DeSantis and Florida Republicans, disproportionately affecting Black and Latino communities. But cracks are appearing in some of their efforts — for example, DeSantis hyped the arrest in 2022 of 20 people who allegedly voted illegally, in what seems to actually be a case of honest confusion about the laws.
HuffPost has reached out to DeSantis’ office for comment.