Two voter advocacy organizations sued Florida on Wednesday over a new law requiring people to provide proof of US citizenship to register and vote.

  • Why it matters: The plaintiffs argue that eligible citizens could have their voter registrations canceled because of administrative discrepancies or notices they fail to answer in time.

Florida Voting Law Faces New Lawsuit

The Southern Poverty Law Center and Democracy Defenders Fund filed the lawsuit against Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd.

They represent the Black Voters Matter Fund and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

The measure, known as Florida’s SAVE Act (HB 991), will take effect on January 1, 2027.

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Voters will be required to prove their citizenship using documents such as birth certificates, passports, or driver’s licenses.

Florida will be able to compare that information with official records to verify whether a person meets the citizenship requirements.

What’s changing: If a discrepancy appears, the voter will have 30 days to respond before the state can remove them from the voter rolls.

The dispute: The plaintiffs argue that Florida is imposing requirements that go beyond federal voter registration law.

Naturalized Citizens Are at the Center of the Lawsuit Agaist Florida’s SAVE Act

Florida Voting Law Tightens Citizenship Requirements and Faces Lawsuit
Florida Voting Law Tightens Citizenship Requirements and Faces Lawsuit – Photo Shutterstock

One of the lawsuit’s main arguments concerns US citizens who acquired citizenship through the naturalization process.

According to the lawsuit, some government records may continue to identify these citizens as noncitizens.

This could create discrepancies when Florida compares voter information with data from different databases.

Florida had the second-highest number of newly naturalized citizens in 2024, with 93,240, according to the lawsuit.

Who it affects: The lawsuit focuses particularly on naturalized citizens whose official records may be outdated.

The alleged risk: An administrative discrepancy does not mean that a person is no longer a US citizen.

“Naturalized citizenship is not provisional. Florida cannot treat it as if it were,” said Juan Proaño, executive director of LULAC.

Plaintiffs Question How Florida Will Remove Voters

April England-Albright, legal director of the Black Voters Matter Fund, questioned whether a citizen should face consequences because of administrative problems.

According to England-Albright, the system could deny someone’s registration or remove a voter because of a database error or a notice they never received.

The plaintiffs also argue that federal law prohibits removing voters from the rolls during the 90 days preceding a federal election.

The legal question: The court will have to determine whether Florida’s provisions conflict with federal protections governing voter registration.

Florida’s SAVE Act already faces another legal challenge. The ACLU, UnidosUS, and LatinoJustice filed a lawsuit against the legislation in April.

The Battle Over Citizenship and Voting Reaches the Courts

Florida’s measure reflects a national dispute over citizenship verification before participating in elections.

HB 991 follows an approach similar to that of the SAVE America Act, promoted nationally by President Donald Trump.

That proposal was approved by the House of Representatives but blocked in the Senate, according to the information provided.

  • What’s next: The new lawsuit will seek a federal court review of HB 991’s provisions before they take effect.

The case will determine how far Florida can go in verifying citizenship without violating federal protections for people legally entitled to vote.

Sources: Efe, Noticias Sin.