In response to Gov. Ron DeSantis signing Florida’s Senate Bill 524 into law, the League of Women Voters of Florida releases the following statement:

“The League of Women Voters of Florida believes Governor Ron DeSantis has made a mistake by signing Florida’s Senate Bill 524 into law. The newly minted law adds a number of unnecessary hurdles that will deter voters from participating in the democratic process. 

The law unnecessarily increases criminal penalties against third-party voter registration organizations that want to help people to register to vote. This will chill churches, nonprofits and other organizations from doing voter registration work that is relied upon by hundreds of the thousands of Floridians.

The creation of an election-centered police force has the potential to intimidate voters and discourage them from participating in the political process. The Governor has repeatedly stated that Florida’s 2020 election was an envy of the nation in terms of efficiency and safety. In turn, this means there were no legitimate overarching problems with our current election system. Taxpayer dollars would be better spent improving access to the ballot and making the voting process more efficient. 

While focusing on measures that restrict our freedom to vote, our state legislature has continuously rejected numerous changes to voting that would have actually made voting more accessible for Floridians. The League believes democracy is strongest when every voice is heard, which is why we will continue to strongly advocate for measures that make voting more accessible, not less.”