TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge in Tallahassee ruled Sunday night that Florida law can’t stop felons from voting because they can’t pay back any legal fees and restitution they owe.

In a 125-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle called the law passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year a “pay-to-vote system.”

Hinkle’s order called court fees a tax and said it creates a new system for determining whether felons are eligible to vote.

The bill, which attempted to define what it means to complete a prison sentence, requires felons to pay all fines, restitution and other legal financial obligations before their sentences can be considered fully served. Florida voters approved Amendment 4 in 2018, restoring voting rights for felons. It permanently bars convicted murderers and rapists from voting, regardless of financial debts.

The judge’s decision could have deep ramifications. Florida’s estimated 774,000 disenfranchised felons represent a significant bloc in a state well known for razor-thin election margins.