After Georgia, swing state of Florida is introducing stricter electoral law

Florida’s governor has passed legislation imposing new rules for voting in elections. After Georgia, Florida is the second US state to enforce such stricter rules.

For example, residents should be able to define themselves better when applying for power of attorney. Also, it is no longer always possible to use private mailboxes for postal voting and must be monitored permanently. To prevent ballot hoarding, people are only allowed to bring and deliver ballot papers from the immediate family and no more than two people who are not relatives.

Governor DeSantis pretended to sign the law on the spot on the Fox News morning show, but a spokesperson later said it was a ceremonial act and that the document was signed after the show. Other media were not allowed to attend, and Fox News itself said it was surprised by the governor’s behavior. The station thought he would only give an interview.

Trump’s legacy

The bill has not been passed by any Florida Democrat. Democrats are outraged by the introduction of stricter rules and say voting has become deliberately more difficult to exclude certain groups of the population: the elderly, the disabled, students and people of color.

“It’s undemocratic, unconstitutional, and un-American,” said the president of the Florida Women’s Electors Association. Republicans say the new conditions guarantee confidence in the electoral process.

Georgia also introduced stricter rules in March. For example, it is forbidden to give voters standing in a polling station queue a bottle of water or food. The law is the legacy of former President Trump, who has continued to argue that fraud was carried out through postal votes, which have been repeatedly voided by various courts.

Similar legislation is under discussion in Texas and Arizona, among others.