ORLANDO, Fla. —
The fallout continues over one of the most controversial laws passed in Florida's recent legislative session. It's an elections law that Republican lawmakers say strengthens security, but Democrats say it stirs suppression.
WESH 2 News spoke with a local woman whose group is named as one of the plaintiffs in this latest legal battle. Florida's new elections law putting restrictions on voting by mail and limiting drop-boxes is facing more legal challenges. A third lawsuit against it was just filed in Tallahassee. It alleges the law violates the state constitution and discriminates against Black and Latino voters.
"We are a Black-led, community-centered voting rights organization headquartered in Orlando, Florida," said Jasmine Burney-Clark, founder of Equal Ground Education Fund.
The Equal Ground Fund is one of six organizations named in the new class-action suit against the state.
"We're real voters, we're taxpayers, we're community members," Burney-Clark said.
She contends adding hurdles to mail-in voting and reducing drop-boxes targets working people and minority communities without any example of fraud to be fixed from the last election.
"Actually, the state was lauded for its success," Burney-Clark said.
No problems have been found with the 2020 election in Florida, but still, the state joins an effort among others to put new rules in place. The nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice finds similar bills have been introduced in 47 state legislatures this year. Republicans who backed the bill argue it's about security.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill and later wrote on Twitter: "I recently signed SB 90 into law to ensure that Florida remains a national leader on election security, ballot integrity, and the protection of every vote." The people behind the lawsuit want court intervention.
"We want voters to turn out, we don't want them to be turned away," Burney-Clark said.
Source: WESH 2