Judge keeps Florida’s new congressional map for now, Palm Beach Co. prepares new ballots

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida’s new congressional maps will remain in place for this year’s elections after a judge declined to block the districts ahead of upcoming primary elections, even as a broader legal challenge over the maps’ legality continues.

A Leon County circuit judge issued an eight-page ruling rejecting an attempt to stop the state’s new congressional districts from being used in this year’s elections. With the primary elections just months away, the judge said it was too late to make last-minute changes.

The legal fight over the maps is far from over. A lawsuit filed by voting rights groups and voters argues the maps were drawn with partisan intent, potentially violating Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has said the new maps remove political gerrymandering and better reflect the state’s population growth.

A key focus of the dispute is District 20, which previously connected Black communities across Palm Beach and Broward counties but has been redrawn entirely within Broward County.

In a statement to CBS12 News, the group Equal Ground called the judge’s ruling “disappointing,” adding, “Black voters deserve districts that reflect their communities.”

Today’s ruling is deeply disappointing for Black voters and all Floridians who believe in fair representation and accountable democracy. While the Court declined to block Florida’s newly enacted congressional map before the 2026 elections, the Court also made clear that this was not a ruling on the ultimate constitutionality of the map itself.What this means in practice is that voters may once again be forced to cast ballots under a map that is still under serious constitutional challenge for violating Florida’s Fair Districts protections against partisan manipulation. The harm of that cannot be overstated. However, we have filed an appeal and will continue to fight. The Court acknowledged that election timelines and procedural barriers make it difficult to intervene before the 2026 cycle moves forward. But voters should not have to wait years for relief while elections proceed under a map that may ultimately be found unconstitutional. Every election conducted under an unfair map risks silencing communities, distorting representation, and eroding public trust in our democratic process.Black voters deserve districts that reflect their communities, protect their voting strength, and comply with the constitutional safeguards Floridians overwhelmingly approved through the Fair Districts Amendments. Our fight does not end with this preliminary ruling. We remain committed to ensuring that Florida’s congressional map is fair, constitutional, and representative of all people — not engineered for partisan advantage at the expense of voters.

The new districts could help Republicans gain as many as four seats in Congress, and the ruling could affect not only how districts are drawn but also who voters ultimately send to Washington.

Across Florida, elections officials are now moving quickly to implement the new lines, including updating precincts, printing ballots, and notifying voters about changes to their districts.

Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link said the new maps affect about 625,000 voters in the county and have compressed the timeline for election preparations.

“Normally we have months to do this and to proofread these and spot check everything. And now we don’t,” Link said.

The new maps also added 13 new precincts, bringing the total to more than 800.

Link said the first voters to receive updated information will be those whose polling location has changed.

Florida is a closed primary state, meaning each precinct requires multiple ballots. Link said the county is dealing with thousands of unique ballot styles.

“It’s over 3200 ballots that are each distinct ballots with distinct races, distinct candidates for those seats,” she said.

Election preparations are expected to cost about $700,000, with staff working overtime to meet deadlines. Link said her office expects to begin ballot preparation soon.

“We can start preparing our ballots, which we’ll start sometime next week,” she said.

Equal Ground has filed an appeal. The judge also made clear the ruling did not decide whether the maps are legal, and that question will be addressed at a full trial still ahead.