Federal authorities have questioned four small portions of a lengthy election law passed by lawmakers, including a decision to eliminate two forms of photo identification that can be used by voters — a buyers’ club card and employee badges — at the polls. There are nine other types of photo ID, including a driver’s license, student ID or U.S. passport, that can still be used at the polls.

The Justice Department also asked why lawmakers decided to give voters two days instead of three to prove their identity if they vote by provisional ballot.

Federal authorities also want to know the impact of imposing fines on groups that hold voter registration drives. A similar law imposing fines on groups was challenged by the League of Women Voters in federal court in 2006, so lawmakers went back and lowered the fines.

Justice has also raised questions about the state’s ”no match” law that requires information on a voter registration application to match either driver’s license numbers or Social Security numbers kept by state and federal governments.

Last week, a U.S. judge ordered the state to stop enforcing the ”no match” law after the NAACP and other groups sued. Florida has appealed the ruling, but on Thursday, a federal appeals court in Atlanta blocked the state’s request to lift the injunction. This weekend, the state plans to add to the voter rolls the names of 14,000 people whose initial applications were rejected because of the ”no match” law.

Florida’s new voter ID law on hold – 12/28/2007 – MiamiHerald.com