Overview
- DeSantis signed HB 991 on Wednesday, creating Florida’s version of the SAVE Act that adds a proof‑of‑citizenship check and tighter voter ID rules.
- The law instructs the state motor vehicle department to verify citizenship from its records, and voters without a match must provide documents or use a provisional ballot.
- It drops student and retirement community IDs from the list of valid photo IDs at the polls, and it makes hand‑marked paper ballots the standard for counting votes.
- The League of Women Voters of Florida and an ACLU‑led coalition sued in federal court, saying the rules could block eligible voters such as students, seniors, naturalized citizens, Puerto Rico‑born voters, and people who changed their names, citing research that about 9% of adults lack ready citizenship papers.
- Most changes start January 1, 2027, and local election officials warn they need new forms, data‑sharing systems, staff, and funding, raising concerns about long lines and confusion without clear state guidance.