A federal trial is underway for a case that alleges Florida’s voter registration law infringes on political speech and civic engagement.
The law, Senate Bill 7050, was passed in 2023, and it bans non-U.S. citizens from working or volunteering for third-party voter registration organizations (3PVROs).
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Florida, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Dēmos, and Arnold & Porter on behalf of Hispanic Federation, Poder Latinx, and individual clients.
“Our clients have dedicated years, registering U.S. citizens in the community to vote and encouraging them to exercise their right to vote," LatinoJustice PRLDEF attorney Robert Cruz said Monday on the steps of the U.S. District Courthouse for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee.
"While these strategies to suppress and intimidate voters may be new, we will continue to fight and defend these rights of our community.”
The state says SB 7050 is about showing up election security. The trial is expected to last two weeks. Parts of it have been blocked from taking effect.
"From the first moment SB 7050 was drafted, Hispanic Federation was vocal in its opposition," said Senior Director of Communications at Hispanic Federation Frederick Velez III. "We wrote letters to state legislators. We sent letter to the governor to veto the law but they decided to pass it into law and that's whey we're here."