Overview
- Smart & Safe Florida said it will not appeal a Leon County ruling that upheld the state’s invalidation of roughly 200,000 petition signatures.
- Judge John Cooper’s decision backed an Oct. 3 directive from elections officials who said petitions lacking the full amendment text or altered formatting could not be counted.
- The Division of Elections lists 675,307 verified signatures, a figure that still reflects the now-disqualified forms, while the campaign claims about 1,010,000 submissions and a large unprocessed backlog.
- To qualify for the 2026 ballot, 880,062 verified signatures must be recorded by Feb. 1, with county supervisors reporting they are rapidly processing petitions after a state-mandated moratorium.
- The push unfolds under new HB 1205 rules being challenged in federal court, as Secretary of State Cord Byrd praises the ruling and his office moves to initiate Florida Supreme Court review of the measure.