ACLU Sues To Stop Enforcement Of New Elections Law
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed suit in federal court on Friday seeking to block implementation of new changes to Florida's elections laws until it can be reviewed and examined by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Critics say the new elections law was written to discourage voters likely to support Democrats.
ACLU Florida argues in the suit that the changes in election law must first be approved by the federal Justice Department to ensure that they aren't discriminatory.
The law created tighter restriction on groups that conduct voter registration drives, requires voters who change their address at the polls to cast a provisional ballot and reduces the number of early voting days.
Critics say minorities are often the target of voter registration drives and that the provision that doesn't allow voters to cast a regular ballot if they've changed addresses will disproportionately affect lower income residents and college students.
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