FLORIDA: Democrats Sue Over “Ballot Order” Law

Courthouse News reports:

Democratic organizations and activists claim in court that Florida’s “ballot order” law unfairly puts their candidates at a disadvantage by listing Republican candidates first year after year.

In a federal lawsuit filed in Tallahassee, the Democrats contend the statute mandating candidates of the governor’s political party to be listed first on a ballot creates “position bias” and gives the governing party an unfair advantage.

The Democratic National Committee, Democratic Governors Association, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the liberal group Priorities USA brought the suit against Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner. Florida Republicans gain nearly 3 percentage points over the Democratic contender when listed first on the ballot, according to the complaint.

About a dozen states have similar laws.