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Lawsuit dislodges election dates from DeSantis
Theresa Lee with Harvard’s Election Law Center and one of the lawyers representing voters who sued DeSantis said in an email that while everyone is “thrilled” the lawsuit “forced the governor’s hand to carry out the duties of his office”
Theresa Lee with Harvard’s Election Law Center and one of the lawyers representing voters who sued DeSantis said in an email that while everyone is “thrilled” the lawsuit “forced the governor’s hand to carry out the duties of his office” they are not satisfied with the dates he picked out.
Following a lawsuit filed by the Election Law Clinic, Governor Ron DeSantis called special elections for three majority-Black legislative districts, to be held in early 2022.
After ninety-one days of inaction, Governor Ron DeSantis finally called special elections for three majority-Black legislative districts with Executive Order No. 21-224. The Election Law Clinic previously filed a lawsuit to compel the Governor to fulfill this duty.
OCTOBER 29, 2021
Case: Staples v. DeSantis
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TALLAHASSEE, FL – After ninety-one days of inaction, Governor Ron DeSantis finally called special elections for three majority-Black legislative districts with Executive Order No. 21-224. The Election Law Clinic previously filed a lawsuit to compel the Governor to fulfill this duty.
“We are thrilled that our lawsuit and our clients’ willingness to stand up for themselves and their neighbors in court have forced the Governor’s hand to carry out the duties of his office,” said Theresa Lee, litigation director of the Election Law Clinic.
However, the timeline set by Governor DeSantis could leave the districts without representation for almost the whole of the 2022 legislative session.
“This is a slap in the face of voters of color,” Ms. Lee said. “The Resign to Run law is designed to allow the lower vacancies to be on the same election schedule as the vacancy for the highest empty office. That these elections are not held on the same timeline as the election for the 20th Congressional District shows that Governor DeSantis does not have respect for the statutory scheme the legislature laid out many years ago or for Florida voters.”
The Election Law Clinic is considering all avenues of further relief.
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Facing lawsuit, DeSantis sets special elections for South Florida legislative races
DeSantis, a Republican, was accused of waiting too long to set election dates to fill the vacancies in a lawsuit filed 12 days ago by the Harvard Election Law Clinic on behalf of Broward and Palm Beach voters.
Lawsuit asks court to make DeSantis call special elections
The Governor refuses to perform his statutory duty to fix the dates of special elections to fill three vacancies in majority-Black legislative districts, as the law requires.
ELC files action to compel Governor DeSantis to call special elections in majority-Black districts
Petitioners contend that the Governor refuses to perform his statutory duty to fix the dates of special elections to fill three vacancies in majority-Black legislative districts, as the law requires.