Although Gov. Ron DeSantis has been scheduling special elections to fill some vacant Florida positions created by several officials being tapped for posts in the Trump administration, a new lawsuit claims the governor has been too slow to act.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of voters in Florida Senate District 19 in Brevard County and state House District 3 in the Florida Panhandle argues that inaction by the governor on setting special elections threatens to deprive voters in the districts of representation. The complaint was filed in the Second Judicial Circuit Court by attorneys with the ACLU of Florida.

“The vacancies arose over 40 days ago, when the vacating legislators resigned to run in special elections for Congress,” the lawsuit filed on Jan. 9 states. “The governor’s failure – inaction longer than any of his predecessors in known history – leaves the constituents of SD 19 and HD 3 without representation and threatens to deprive them of a voice in the halls of the Capitol during the 2025 session set to begin in March.”