Court rules in favor of Florida election law against after hours drop boxes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled in favor of an embattled 2021 Florida election integrity law that cracked down on ballot harvesting and strictly regulated how ballot drop boxes can be utilized.

The judge said Florida’s restrictions do not keep Floridians from voting, according to the Associated Press.

Walker ruled that the voting rights groups challenging state law did not adequately show that the drop box regulations burdened voters enough to unduly disenfranchise anyone.

The decision also upheld the law’s stricter provisions on third-party voter registration.

In 2022, Walker ruled against parts of the law over concerns it was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

An appeals court later reinstated the law that same year.

The appeals court had previously said that Walker’s decision that state law targets Black voters was incorrect, and lacked supporting evidence.

“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.