Today’s ruling from a federal district judge confirms what we’ve known all along: Florida Senate Bill 90 is a complete violation of Black voting rights. Since the bill became law last year, we warned that restricting access to mail-in ballots and drop boxes, banning volunteer assistance, issuing deceptive registration warnings, and stopping food and water distribution in voting lines would have an outsized impact on Black communities. We were so glad to join our local and national partners like the League of Women Voters of Florida in filing this lawsuit, testifying at the bench trial, and lifting up the movement for fair voting rights in Florida. Now, thanks to ours and our partners forceful advocacy, this decision will finally strike down this bill and all its hindrances to Black voting rights.
This case serves as yet another reminder of why we need federal voting rights protections immediately. Even as we celebrate this ruling in Florida, Republican lawmakers in Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, and other states are considering their own proposals to restrict voting rights and rob Black communities of their voting power. With state primary elections just weeks away and midterm elections later this year, we can’t afford to delay this any longer; the future of our democracy is at stake. We have the votes to get this done. President Biden and Senate Democrats must make federal voting rights legislation a top priority and do everything in their power to get these bills passed.
