Judge Rules Reducing Early Voting in Florida Okay

Cutting from 14 to 8 days is not disciminatory

Florida's plan to cut the number of early voting days from 14 to eight does not discriminate against African-American voters, a federal judge ruled.

A group of African-American leaders and voters, including U.S. Representative Corrine Brown (D-Fla.), challenged the 2011 amendments to Florida's early voting law, claiming they denied minority voters equal access to the polls. The group asked a federal court to restore the previous early voting rules, arguing that the new law violated the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution.

Enacted in 2004 and amended in 2006, Florida's early voting law provided for up to 14 days of early voting, but no fewer than 12, up through the Sunday before Election Day. Though early voting became increasingly popular, especially among African-American voters, Florida reduced the number of early voting days in 2011.