A federal judge just blocked a new Florida election law that puts limits on who can register voters. The law was signed earlier this year and was part of a package that allowed Governor DeSantis to run for president without resigning.

Here’s more via CNN:

A federal judge on Monday blocked a Florida election law that would have set limits on voter registration in the state.

Chief US District Judge for the Northern District of Florida Mark E. Walker said while it’s correct for the state to “seek integrity” in its electoral system, “Florida’s solutions for preserving election integrity are too far removed from the problems it has put forward as justifications” and violate the US constitution.

The legislation, passed this spring, makes it illegal for people convicted of certain felonies and for non-citizens – including those who have permanent legal residency in the US – to collect or handle voter registration applications. Third-party organizations could face fines of up to $50,000 for each ineligible person involved in collecting the applications.

“Florida may, of course, regulate elections, including the voter registration process,” Walker said in the ruling granting a preliminary injunction. “Here, however, the challenged provisions exemplify something Florida has struggled with in recent years; namely, governing within the bounds set by the United States Constitution.”

Politico adds a little more on what the law does that brought the challenge:

The law, passed this spring by GOP legislators and signed into law by DeSantis, was a comprehensive measure that included a provision that cleared the way for the governor to run for president without having to resign his current position.

The legal challenges, however, came from several groups that register voters, including organizations that focus on registering Black and Hispanic voters. The new law includes restrictions on who could handle voter registration applications — blocking, for example, non-citizens even if they were legally allowed to work in the U.S. The new measure, which subjects the groups to steep fines, also barred organizations from retaining information about the new registrants. It also requires them to give a receipt when someone fills out a voter registration application.

Republicans and state officials argued the new restrictions were designed to crack down on groups that routinely turn in applications late and were needed to ensure non-citizens weren’t voting.

As you might have imagined, the judge in this case was an Obama appointee and has regularly ruled against DeSantis and the Florida legislature. You can be sure this ruling will be appealed.