Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Law Limiting Mail-In Ballots and Drop Boxes

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law Thursday morning that places tighter limits on ballot drop boxes and voting by mail. "I have what we think is the strongest election integrity measures in the country," DeSantis said. The law, which bears some similarities to Georgia’s recent controversial voting law, was passed by Florida Republicans on near party-line votes and over the opposition of Florida’s county supervisors of elections. Specifically, the law requires an ID number to request a mail-in ballot, lowers the applicability of mail-in ballot requests from 4 years to 2, and limits drop boxes to in-person monitored locations during regular early voting hours, among other things. DeSantis, accompanied by the pro-Trump group Club 45 USA, signed the law live on Fox News and shut out local media. Democrats and civil rights groups promptly filed two lawsuits challenging the new law. Coverage from the left was more likely to use the words “suppress” and “restrict.” Coverage was less prominent in right-rated outlets outside of Fox News.