A federal judge has blocked parts of a voter suppression law authored by Florida Republicans and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, saying racism was a motivating factor in its passage. In a nearly 300-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker cited Florida’s “grotesque history of racial discrimination in voting.” He added, “At some point, when the Florida Legislature passes law after law disproportionately burdening Black voters, this Court can no longer accept that the effect is incidental.” The law makes it harder to vote by mail, limits ballot drop boxes, imposes new voter ID requirements and criminalizes giving food and water to voters waiting in line at polling places.

Meanwhile, Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey has signed a law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship in order to vote in a presidential election. Voting rights advocates have called the bill blatantly unconstitutional and warn that unless courts block the law, some 200,000 Arizona voters could be impacted.