Florida voter suppression law remains valid, says federal judge

Even in its revised version, the law still sucks. But a federal court upheld it yesterday.

I'm referring to the Florida Legislature's latest attempt to keep undesirables (read: Democrats) from voting by requiring onerous identity checks at the polls. Naturally, the people most affected by the law will be lower-income people and minorities, both of whom tend to vote Democratic.

A federal judge has refused to block a new version of a Florida voter registration law that critics say could keep thousands of people from casting ballots this year.

U.S. District Judge Stephan Mickle issued the ruling Tuesday in Gainesville. Last year, he granted a preliminary injunction against an earlier version of the law. He was reversed on appeal and the Legislature modified the law.

Both versions require elections officials to match Social Security, state identification or driver license numbers listed on voter registration applications with numbers in government databases.

"This ruling puts thousands of real Florida citizens at risk this November based on bureaucratic typos," lawyer Justin Levitt said Wednesday.

Levitt represents the Florida Conference of the National Association of Colored People and other groups challenging the law.

Under the new version, if the state is unable to match a number, an applicant can still register by providing verification of either his or her driver license, identity card or Social Security number regardless of which one was entered on the application.

Let's not kid ourselves. This bill was narrowly tailored for one reason: to provide a constitutionally valid way to limit access to the polls. You know, if the Repukes can't have their poll taxes or literacy tests, they'll take the next best thing.

This is heinous, it's craven, and it's a shame that Judge Mickle has decided to let it stand. I applauded him for rejecting the earlier version of the law, but the right to vote is perhaps the most dear -- basically, it's what makes us Americans. And limiting that right for specious reasons, as here, therefore is a greater assault on American liberty.

Call me breathless, say I'm overreacting ... but come back to this post in November and remember how Our Legislature found a way to skew the election long before then.