Is it true that Palm Beach County voters were only allowed five minutes to mark their ballots?
Florida law (101.51) provides: “No elector, while casting his or her ballot, shall occupy a booth or compartment longer than 5 minutes or be allowed to occupy a booth or compartment already occupied or to speak with anyone, except [for a voter seeking assistance], while in the polling place.” Palm Beach voter Kenneth Horowitz, owner of the Miami Fusion soccer team, has brought a lawsuit challenging this provision, alleging that election workers were warning voters that anyone taking longer than five minutes would have their ballot tossed out. This type of time limit is not unusual in state election laws. It is intended as a “housekeeping” requirement to avoid disruption and undue delays in polling places on election day. A similar provision under California law was challenged as a form of discrimination against persons lacking proficiency in English. A federal appeals court found “no evidence that any county has ever enforced the California law so as to require voters to leave the voti
