Florida’s policy of banning felons from voting until they petition the government is unconstitutional and forces them to “kowtow” to the whim of state politicians, a federal judge ruled on Thursday. 

The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed on behalf of nine ex-felons denied the right to vote. 

Almost all states deny incarcerated criminals the right to vote, but Florida, an often crucial state in presidential elections, is one of only four to not automatically restore voting rights after felons have completed their sentences. 

“In Florida elected, partisan officials have extraordinary authority to grant or withhold the right to vote from hundreds of thousands of people without any constraints, guidelines or standards,” U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote in a 43-page decision, saying he would rule later on how the state should fix the system. 

Governor Rick Scott’s communication director, John Tupps, said in a statement that Florida’s process for restoring voting rights to felons had been in place for decades and that Walker’s ruling broke with U.S. Supreme Court precedent.