Appeals Court Reinstates Florida Election Integrity Law

By Lydia Nusbaum

Published May. 6, 2022, 6:32 p.m. ET | Updated May. 6, 2022

May 6, 2022 Updated 6:32 P.M. ET

ATLANTA (FLV) – A federal appeals court reinstated Florida’s election integrity law Friday after a judge previously deemed parts of the law unconstitutional.

Florida’s election law (S.B. 90) strengthened voter identification, prohibited the mass mailing of ballots, banned ballot harvesting, and prohibited private money from administering Florida elections.

“Floridians can rest assured that our state will remain a leader in ballot integrity. Elections should be free and fair, and these changes will ensure this continues to be the case in the Sunshine State,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said when he signed the bill in May of 2021.

The League of Women Voters of Florida along with the Black Voters Matter Fund and other groups filed a lawsuit challenging Florida’s Senate Bill 90 when the bill was signed in 2021. The groups claimed it makes it more difficult for Floridians to cast their ballot, with a disproportionate impact on elderly voters, voters with disabilities, students and communities of color.

In April, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled that parts of the Florida law were unconstitutional and discriminatory.

The election integrity reforms enacted in Florida last year, championed by @GovRonDeSantis, will be in effect and ensure the security of our important 2022 elections. Every legal vote will count. Common sense wins again.
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) May 6, 2022

However, Florida appealed the decision and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit granted a temporary stay on Walker’s order Friday. The court said the Purcell principle teaches that federal district courts should not enjoin state election laws too close to an election. Florida’s primary election is August 23rd.