Hundreds of thousands of Floridians voting by mail already have said yes or no to Amendment 4, the abortion question. But Ron DeSantis is pushing for a legal challenge even if they win. Via the Sun Sentinel:
But an 11th-hour lawsuit filed Wednesday by anti-abortion opponents threatens to derail their efforts. The lawsuit, heavily based on a report from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and pushed by his allies, alleges “widespread fraud” in the abortion petition drive and seeks to strike Amendment 4 from the ballot — or nullify any election results.
After so much effort and time, could Amendment 4 really go by the wayside, regardless of what the voters want? It seems at least possible, according to experts interviewed by the Orlando Sentinel — a suggestion that deepens the extraordinary political and legal morass into which the abortion rights measure has been cast.
Opponents can tap into case law that provides a “veritable blueprint” for challenging a ballot initiative based on fraud accusations, said Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University.
Jarvis’ views are echoed by other experts who note Florida case law allows such challenges, even after an election. But the lawsuit faces tough hurdles, they say, from proving widespread fraud to overcoming other legal questions.
Here’s what I can’t figure out. Everyone knows if Trump loses, DeSantis plans to run in 2028. But draconian anti-abortion measures have turned Republican races into an uphill battle all over the country. So what is he up to? Is he trying to drive up Amendment 4 turnout to make sure Trump loses?
The mind boggles.
