Election Law Challenge Withdrawn

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) – A challenge to Florida's new election rules has been withdrawn by a Democratic state senator and two nonpartisan groups.

Those who filed the case contended Florida election officials could not order 62 counties to follow the new law if five other counties covered by the federal Voting Rights Act were adhering to an old law.

Five counties in the state are covered because of past discrimination under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That law said any elections changes in areas that have a history of discrimination must be approved by the Justice Department before they can go into effect.

But the challenge became moot after a federal court in Washington, D.C. signed off on one of the changes.

The U.S. Department of Justice has also approved changes to early voting for those five counties that cuts the number of days from 14 to eight.

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