Voting rights groups and two Democratic state lawmakers asked a federal court to stop a sweeping new elections law from being implemented until it gets clearance from the Obama administration.

The ACLU and Washington-based Project Vote filed the lawsuit on behalf of state Sen. Arthenia Joyner and Rep. Janet Cruz, both Tampa Democrats, and other voters seeking an injunction of HB 1355, signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott on May 18. The law became effective immediately, and Secretary of State Kurt Browning, a Scott appointee, the following day issued a directive to the state’s 67 elections supervisors telling them to begin implementing the changes.

Opponents of the controversial new law claim it is aimed at suppressing Democratic voter turnout in the 2012 presidential election. Both parties consider Florida, a swing state that elected President Obama in 2008, crucial for victory next November.

The suit filed today asks a federal judge to block the law from going into effect for all 67 counties while the U.S. Department of Justice reviews the changes in five counties – Hillsborough, Collier, Monroe, Hardee and Hendry- subject to federal preclearance.

Lawyers for the groups say the Florida cannot go into effect anywhere in the state until the preclearance is approved because election laws are required to be uniform throughout the state.

“We believe the laws, rules and related cases are clear – Florida cannot implement the new law anywhere in the state until the Justice Department conducts a review or until the DC federal court approves the changes,” said Laughlin McDonald, Voting Rights Project Director of the ACLU. “That review is needed and until it happens, we’re asking the court to stop this law from moving forward.”

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is in the midst of a press conference right now announcing that the National Federation of Independent Businesses has joined his lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Obama’s federal health care overhaul.

McCollum amended the lawsuit today (see a copy here) to include all complainants: 20 states, the NFIB and two business owners, Mary Brown and Kaj Ahlburg.

“The outpouring of opposition to this new law was overwhelming and our members urged us to do everything in our power to stop this unconstitutional law,” said Dan Danner, NFIB president and CEO.

The suit challenges the so-called “individual mandate” in the law that requires Americans to buy health care coverage or face a fine.

McCollum said he expects a hearing in September on a yet-to-be-filed motion to dismiss from the U.S. Justice Department. McCollum said the suit would probably end up in the U.S. Supreme Court by in 2012. McCollum is running for governor this year and will not be the state’s attorney general after this year.

Circuit Judge David Crow’s Monday ruling that upheld Palm Beach Mayor Jack McDonald’s one-vote victory in a February runoff doesn’t end the legal wrangling over how absentee ballots should be counted.

Crow even says so.

“This court recognizes that this decision will not be the final word in this dispute,” he writes near the beginning of his 16-page opinion.

Indeed, the attorney for McDonald challenger Gerry Goldsmith says he plans to appeal.

Read about it here.