TALLAHASSEE — Secretary of State Kurt Browning has asked a federal court to approve Florida’s new election law, sidestepping the U.S. Justice Department on the most controversial portions of the voting overhaul approved by the GOP-dominated legislature in May.

Critics of the new law say it is designed to make registering to vote and casting ballots more difficult for minorities and low-income voters, who tend to vote Democratic.

The ACLU and other groups are challenging the law in federal court in Miami. Jesse Jackson held rallies in Florida this week protesting the law.

On Friday, Browning withdrew four portions of the law – including those being challenged in federal court – from the application the state filed in June with the Department of Justice.

Five counties – Collier, Hardy, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe – require clearance before changes to election laws can go into effect because of a history of voter discrimination.

In a release, Browning hinted that the state wouldn’t get a fair evaluation from the administration of President Obama, a Democrat.

“The purpose of filing in the federal district court is to ensure that the changes to Florida’s election law are judged on their merits, by eliminating the risk of a ruling impacted by outside influence,” Browning said in the release. “Since the passage we have seen misinformation surrounding the bill increase. By asking a court to rule on certain aspects of the bill, we are assured of a neutral evaluation based on the facts.”

Browning has asked the court to evaluate:

Third-party registrations: The new law requires third-party voter registration organizations, such as the League of Women Voters, to submit completed applications to county elections supervisors within 48 hours. Previously, the groups were given up to 10 days to turn in the forms. The league said the change forced
it to stop registering voters.

Change of address: The new law requires voters who have moved from one county to another to cast a provisional ballot on election day if they want to change their address at the polls. Supporters say this is aimed at reducing fraud. Opponents say provisional ballots have a greater chance of not being counted, and low-income voters move more often than affluent voters.
Early voting: The new law keeps the same number of hours for early voting – 96 – but decreases the number of days, from 14 to eight days before an election.
Petition signature verification: The new law imposes new restrictions on petition signature-­gatherers and shortens the length of time they can be used for ballot initiatives from four years to two.
Florida, Texas and Wisconsin are among states where GOP-dominated legislatures have passed election overhauls that opponents say are aimed at suppressing Democratic votes.

U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, asked for a federal investigation into the states’ voting overhauls.

Source: palmbeachpost.com