Related videos:
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, signed on Wednesday the Florida SAVE Act, a law that requires documentation of U.S. citizenship to register as a voter or update an existing voter registration in the state.
The signing took place in The Villages, a retirement community in central Florida considered a Republican stronghold, and immediately sparked two federal lawsuits filed by coalitions of civil rights and electoral organizations, reported NBC Miami.
"This law protects and enhances the integrity of our voter registration process by requiring verification of U.S. citizenship," DeSantis said during the event.
"Our constitution states that only American citizens can vote in our elections, and we need to ensure that this is upheld," he emphasized.
The legislation, known as House Bill 991, is the state version of the federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which remains stalled in the United States Senate.
The law requires that new voters or those updating their registration present documents such as a U.S. passport, birth certificate, Florida driver's license with REAL ID verification, or concealed carry permit.
According to Politico, Florida has 13.3 million active registered voters, and the law requires a review of this registry to identify and potentially remove individuals who cannot confirm their citizenship.
The main provisions will come into effect on January 1, 2027, after the 2026 election cycle, although some sections —such as the process for challenging the eligibility of candidates— are effective immediately.
The law also eliminates the use of student and retirement community identifications for voting, a practice that has been allowed in Florida since 2006, and requires that voting be conducted exclusively with paper ballots.
The Florida legislature, controlled by Republicans, passed the bill in votes of 27-12 in the Senate and 77-28 in the House, along party lines.
DeSantis anticipated the lawsuits and dismissed them: "They go before a liberal judge. The liberal judge gives them a win. Then we appeal and we win."
The first lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by the League of Women Voters of Florida, Common Cause, Florida Rising, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Hispanic Federation, and UnidosUS, represented by the ACLU.
The second was presented by the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans in the Northern District Court of Florida, with representation from the Elias Law Group.
Both lawsuits argue that the law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution and that it will create disproportionate barriers for eligible citizens.
"If this law comes into effect, the number of Florida citizens who will lose their right to vote will be much, much greater than the number of ineligible voters who will be prevented from voting," warned Abha Khanna, partner at Elias Law Group.
Opponents point out that the law will especially affect married women who have changed their name, naturalized citizens, low-income voters, minorities, Puerto Ricans who moved to Florida after Hurricane Maria, and elderly individuals who may lack accessible documents.
The supporters of the measure argue that 99% of Florida driver's license holders already meet the REAL ID standards, so most voters would not be affected.
The signing took place one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restrict mail-in voting at the national level, although Florida's new law does not change the current no-excuse mail-in voting system allowed by the state.
Filed under: