Federal judge blocks voter registration law

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered state election officials to stop enforcing a two-year-old voter registration law, ruling that there is already proof that the change put in place by the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature has resulted in "actual harm to real individuals."

Some 14,000 people have not been able to register because of Florida's "no match'' law that requires a citizen's name on a voter registration form be matched with a Social Security number or driver's license number. The law has been challenged by the NAACP and other groups who say the law unfairly blocks blacks and Hispanics from being able to register to vote.

U.S. District Judge Stephan Mickle rejected arguments from state officials that the law was needed to deter possible voter fraud, pointing out that the state has not been able to prove that the 14,000 voters now in limbo engaged in voter fraud.

"The disenfranchisement, however unintentional, causes damage to the election system that cannot be repaired after the election has passed," wrote Mickle in the order. Read order here.Download nomatch_decision.pdf

The decision to block state election officials from enforcing the law comes at a critical time since the deadline is approaching for people to register to vote in order to vote in the Jan. 29th presidential primary election.

Justin Levitt, an attorney for the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, hailed the ruling and said it should lead to the state clearing the way to place those 14,000 people on the voter rolls.

"We think it's a big win for the voters of Florida who have one fewer administrative hurdle and bureaucratic barrier in their way," said Levitt.