Appeals court reverses ruling that Florida election integrity law is discriminatory

Eric Daugherty contributed to this report.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – A federal court reversed a lower court ruling involving Florida’s post-2020 election law changes, prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office to boast of a “great win for Florida’s voters.”

“Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overturned the lower court’s attempt to block Florida’s common-sense election security reforms in Senate Bill 90, which was signed into law by Governor DeSantis in 2021,” Jeremy Redfern, deputy press secretary for the governor, said in a statement.

“We will continue to make Florida’s elections secure, efficient, and transparent,” he said.

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker previously ruled that the law was intended to discriminate against black voters.

The new ruling overturned Walker’s assertion that he would have to approve changes to certain parts of election laws.

“Examining the record reveals that the finding of intentional discrimination rests on hardly any evidence,” the ruling said, written by Chief Judge William Pryor.

In May 2022, A federal appeals court reinstated Florida’s election integrity law after a judge previously deemed parts of the law unconstitutional. 

Florida’s election law (SB 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 2021. 

The League of Women Voters of Florida, along with the Black Voters Matter Fund and other groups, filed a lawsuit challenging Florida’s SB 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 2022, Walker ruled that parts of the Florida law were unconstitutional and discriminatory.

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