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Florida’s Special Session: A Win for Voters as the Legislature Pauses on Ballot Initiative Restrictions

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Florida Politics

At Black Peak, we believe in the power of ballot initiatives as a fundamental check on government and a vital tool for ensuring that the people’s voices are heard. That’s why we applaud the Florida Legislature’s decision to reject Governor Ron DeSantis’ rushed attempt to gut the ballot initiative process during this week’s special session.


The governor’s proposal, which would have banned third-party signature-gathering, was a direct attack on the ability of Floridians to bring important issues directly to voters. This move would have made it virtually impossible for citizen-led campaigns to collect the nearly 900,000 signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, effectively eliminating the initiative process in Florida.


A Victory for Citizen Power

House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, showed leadership in stopping DeSantis’ attempt to push these changes through without proper debate. He recognized that making such drastic changes in a special session—without public input—would have been a disservice to the very voters who elected Florida’s lawmakers.


“Ballot issues need reform,” Perez said, “but I do not believe that we as elected officials should slip into a special session and try to ram through changes that affect the rights of the very voters who sent us here to Tallahassee.”


While Perez suggested potential changes could come in the regular legislative session in March, his decision to pump the brakes on DeSantis’ proposal is an important signal that the legislature is not blindly following the governor’s lead.


The Ballot Initiative Process Must Be Protected

At Black Peak, we strongly oppose any efforts to restrict or eliminate the ballot initiative process. This tool has long been a way for the people to step in when their elected officials refuse to act. 


Governor DeSantis’ attack on ballot initiatives is not about protecting voters from fraud—it’s about consolidating power and preventing Floridians from passing policies he disagrees with. His administration has already spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to defeat citizen-backed proposals.


His latest attempt to strip citizens of their ability to put issues on the ballot relied on questionable data from the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security, which alleged that 16.4% of Amendment 4 petition signatures may have been invalid. Even the report itself admitted the findings were based on a small sample size, raising concerns about its credibility.


A Narrow Escape—But the Fight Isn’t Over

While DeSantis did not get his way this time, this fight is far from over. Legislative leadership has signaled that some kind of reform could still be on the table in March. We must be clear:


  • Ballot initiatives are not the problem. The people of Florida have every right to propose and vote on laws when lawmakers fail to act.

  • Eliminating third-party signature gathering would destroy the initiative process. It is logistically impossible for citizen-led efforts to collect nearly a million signatures without assistance.

  • Claims of widespread fraud are exaggerated and politically motivated. The proposed crackdown is not about election security—it’s about controlling outcomes.


The Path Forward

For now, Florida’s citizen-backed ballot initiative process remains intact—but only because voters, advocacy groups, and some key legislators stood up to DeSantis. If the legislature revisits this issue in March, we must remain vigilant.


At Black Peak, we will continue to fight to protect the ballot initiative process and ensure that Floridians retain their constitutional right to hold their government accountable. We commend Speaker Perez and the Legislature for recognizing the dangers of rushing through these restrictions and urge them to stand firm against any future attacks on citizen-led initiatives.


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