Florida Enacts New Voter ID Law, Sparking Concerns of Disenfranchisement
TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida’s legislature passed a bill Thursday requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering, a move mirroring a stalled federal proposal and drawing immediate condemnation from Democrats and voting rights groups. Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the legislation into law, which will take effect in 2027.
The bill, passed by the state House 77-28 and the Senate 27-12, mandates that new registrants present a birth certificate or passport. Existing voters will have their citizenship verified against government databases, with those lacking documentation notified by mail and given an opportunity to provide proof to remain registered.
Supporters, including State Senator Erin Grall, a Republican from Vero Beach, argue the law is necessary to bolster election integrity. “This is about the integrity of our elections,” Grall said Wednesday on the Senate floor. “It is something that puts greater trust into our system.”
However, critics warn the law could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of eligible voters, particularly those who may not have easy access to the required documentation. Approximately 872,000 Florida residents currently do not have Real IDs, according to Senator Grall. The legislation also eliminates college and retirement home IDs as acceptable forms of identification at polling places, a decision proponents say is aimed at preventing fraudulent identification.
The Advancement Project estimates the law could potentially disenfranchise “tens of thousands of eligible voters,” particularly within Black and brown communities. “Voters should pick their leaders,” said Carmen Daugherty, interim executive director at the organization, in a statement. “There’s nothing to celebrate about a system that keeps Black and brown voters, college student voters and retired voters from casting a ballot that counts.”
The legislation has also drawn legal challenges. Democratic elections lawyer Marc Elias announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he would sue the state if the bill is enacted.
The debate echoes past controversies, with State Representative Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, drawing parallels to accusations leveled against former President Barack Obama regarding his citizenship. “I’m old enough to remember President Barack Obama being accused of not having U.S. citizenship… How is this not the same thing?” she remarked, as reported by WLRN.
Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power praised the bill’s passage, stating, “Floridians deserve absolute confidence that every legal vote counts and that our elections are secure.”
The new law is modeled after the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act currently stalled in the U.S. Senate. While DeSantis believes the Florida law “will further fortify our state as the leader in election integrity,” opponents fear it will create unnecessary barriers to voting and disproportionately impact marginalized communities.