US judge blocks portions of new Florida elections law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge is blocking Florida from enforcing part of a new elections law that bans non-citizens from handling or or collecting voter registration forms. Judge Mark Walker’s ruling on Monday says the state can’t restrict individual rights, and it showed no need to do so. The ruling also blocks a ban on third-party voter registration groups retaining personal information collected when registering new voters. The NAACP and other groups sued the state over provisions in the bill Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on the same day he announced he’s running for president. Opponents say it makes registering voters more difficult, while Republicans said they were making elections more secure.