voting rights

While Congress remains deadlocked on the SAVE America Act that would require U.S. citizenship to register to vote, that requirement will soon become the law of the land in Florida now that Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the latest “voting integrity ” legislation.

If a new Florida elections bill goes into effect, driver licenses will soon include a new notable fact: whether a person is a U.S. citizen. Supporters of HB 991, approved by Florida’s Legislature and expected to be signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, say the bill will ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens vote. Critics worry it will disenfranchise eligible voters who are unable to meet the bill’s demands.

A bill to impose heightened requirements for first-time voters, including mandating presentation of documents such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate — received its first hearing in this year’s legislative session and was approved by a first committee. Critics contend the bill will end up throwing eligible U.S. citizens off the voter rolls.

A bill that would require the state of Florida to develop and maintain a centralized database to help individuals with felony convictions determine whether they are eligible for restoration of voting rights quickly passed its second committee stop in the state Senate on Wednesday.

Tens of millions of voters have had their information run through the tool — a striking portion of the U.S. public, considering little has been made public about the tool's accuracy or data security.

Nongovernmental groups like the League of Women Voters are now barred from registering new voters at naturalization ceremonies, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced.

Jessica Lowe-Minor, the president of the League of Women Voters of Florida is warning state legislators not to embark on a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan, saying it's unprecedented and goes against the 2010 “Fair Districts” constitutional amendment.

Lawyers for voter advocacy groups and campaigns for Medicaid expansion and recreational marijuana appeared before a federal judge in Tallahassee Tuesday. It is their latest attempt to carve away at a law that they argue unconstitutionally hamstrings citizens’ abilities to amend Florida’s constitution.

A federal district judge heard arguments Monday over a Florida law that voting rights advocates say could significantly reduce the ability of citizens to amend the state constitution. Some parts of that law go into effect Tuesday.

While many states have been making it easier for those people to vote after serving prison time, Florida and some other states have made it harder.

Advocates are finding it difficult to adapt as they try to register and educate potential voters with just months to go before this year's presidential election.

State lawmakers across the U.S. concerned about the integrity of elections ahead of the 2024 presidential vote are proposing and enacting an unprecedented number of laws to restrict — and, in some cases, expand — voting rights and ballot access.