Republican Ron DeSantis would not have to step down as Florida governor to run for president if he chooses to do so under a bill that was finally approved Friday by the GOP-dominated legislature.

The measure, which is tied to a much broader election law, would be an exception to Florida’s law, which would require anyone seeking office to

vacate their current seat resign from a seat they already occupy

after qualifying as a candidate. Only an office holder who is a candidate for US President or Vice President is not required to resign.

Supporters portrayed the bill as purely a clarification and not intended specifically for DeSantis, who

has not yet announced a presidential bid, but

is

wide

expects to run for the Republican nomination in the coming weeks. The bill passed the state House 76 to 34 along party lines and now heads to DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.

It is an individual office that is unique. It’s the president of our country,” said Rep. Ralph Massullo, a Republican, during the House debate on Friday. “This isn’t just for our governor. It’s for everyone in politics.

Democratic lawmakers called the effort a cynical attempt to clear the way for DeSantis to run

residual as

governor. Are

current

Term in Tallahassee would end in January 2027.

We in this body do the governors’ orders, said Rep. Angela Nixon, a Democrat. He has to step down to run if he wants to be president, period. Last time I checked, being a governor is a full-time job. Seeking the presidency takes a lot of work.

The account that

would make makes some

other amendments to Florida’s election law, passed a day after a federal appeals court upheld a GOP-led election law that went into effect last year. That law was challenged as racially discriminatory by attempting to suppress black voting, but a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed.

Among other things, it would tighten limits and increase fines for third-party voter registration organizations, place more restrictions on mail-in ballots, and shift responsibility for determining voter eligibility from the state to the individual.

Democrats argued that the bill is another step to suppress voting from minorities and economically disadvantaged people in favor of Republicans

,

WHO

already

dominate Florida’s state government and federal offices.

We were at it again, making it more difficult for people to register to vote. What we do with this bill is not necessary, Democratic Representative Anna Eskamni said. “It’s really frustrating.

Republicans

However,

described the measure as guaranteeing a legitimate vote, streamlining electoral operations and removing ambiguity in the law.

There is nothing more sacred than our vote,” said GOP Rep. John Snyder. “It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat.

The House also passed a proposal that would require a constitutional amendment to pass with at least 66.67% of the vote, to 60%

currently

. That measure

which

must vacate the senate

and then

would go on the November 2024 ballot, where it would require 60% of the vote to pass.

We know that in today’s crazy world, we’re at greater risk of bad constitutional amendments,” said the lead sponsor, Republican Rep. Rick Roth. We must stand for our constitution.

Democrats argued that the change to the amendment threshold would make it more difficult for voters to change policies on their own if the legislature denies it.

Sixty percent is high enough,” said Democratic Representative Bruce Antone. Voters should have an option if the legislature doesn’t listen to them. We’ve seen that time and time again.