Felons can get voting rights back sooner under Floridaโs new clemency plan
โThose who have had their voting rights restored under Amendment 4, it makes sense to also restore the other civil rights,โ DeSantis said. Since taking office in 2019, Fried has pushed DeSantis and other clemency board members to make it easier for felons to have their rights restored. Wednesdayโs action reversed five- and seven-year waiting periods imposed by the clemency board when it was made up of former Gov. Floridaโs labyrinthine and lengthy clemency process has been assailed for decades as a system designed to keep Black people from voting. Under the old rules, restitution had to be paid in full before felons could apply to have their rights restored.
Amendment 4 fails: Floridians decide against requiring second vote on constitutional amendments
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Floridaโs proposed Amendment 4, which aimed to require a second vote for amendments to the state constitution, has failed. Currently, a constitutional amendment requires a 60% vote to become effective, anything less means the amendment is rejected, but under Amendment 4 it would extend the process to another round of voting. โEssentially, an amendment approved by Florida voters would not count unless it passed a second time in the next election. A โyesโ vote supports requiring voter-approved constitutional amendments to be approved by voters at a second general election to become effective. A โnoโ vote opposes requiring voter-approved constitutional amendments to be approved by voters at a second general election to become effective.
Timeline: Effort to restore former felons voting rights in Florida
In response, more than a dozen former felons and voting rights groups sued Gov. Florida Rights Restoration Coalition raised $27 million to pay off fines and fees for more than 40,000 returning citizens statewide by the Presidential Election. The FRRC led the 2018 ballot initiative to restore voting rights to ex-felons. Prior to the amendment the only way former felons would have their voting rights restored in Florida was to wait at least five years before asking the Florida Clemency Board to restore their voting rights. This amendment would automatically restore voting rights to non-violent offenders if they completed their parole and probation periods.
What to know about Floridaโs Amendment 4: Requires second vote on constitutional amendments
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Under Amendment 4, Florida voters will decide this November whether constitutional amendments such as Amendment 4 should receive two general election votes before becoming part of the state constitution. [LIVE RACE RESULTS: Scroll to bottom of story to see all race returns starting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3]Currently, a constitutional amendment requires a 60% vote to become effective, anything less means the amendment is rejected, but under Amendment 4 it would extend the process to another round of voting. โEssentially, an amendment approved by Florida voters would not count unless it passed a second time in the next election. A โyesโ vote supports requiring voter-approved constitutional amendments to be approved by voters at a second general election to become effective. A โnoโ vote opposes requiring voter-approved constitutional amendments to be approved by voters at a second general election to become effective.
Voters could remove racist phrases from Alabama Constitution
FILE - In this July 26, 2020, file photo, mourners gathered at the Alabama Capitol following the death of Rep. John Lewis. Alabama voters will decide whether to remove racist, segregation-era language from the state's 1901 Constitution in the upcoming election. (AP Photo/Julie Bennett, File)BIRMINGHAM, Ala. โ Alabama voters once again have the chance to remove the racist language of Jim Crow from the state's constitution, which was approved in 1901 to enshrine white supremacy as state law. Voters in neighboring Mississippi will decide on a replacement for the Confederate-themed state flag, and Rhode Island voters will decide whether to remove a reference to plantations from the state's official name. Two decades ago, Alabama voters voted to repeal an unenforceable section of the constitution that made it illegal for Black and white people to marry.
Pardon blocked for felonsโ rights leader
DeSantis and Patronis on Wednesday blocked Meadeโs request for a pardon, with DeSantis saying the panel should take the issue โunder advisementโ until it can gather more information. The stateโs labyrinthine and years-long clemency process prompted Meade and other advocates to initiate the constitutional amendment, which enabled Meade to cast a ballot in last monthโs primary elections. Meade said his focus is on getting his rights restored in Florida, as a pardon would restore rights such as being able to serve on juries and have firearms. Critics have condemned the stateโs clemency process as a remnant of Jim Crow-era laws designed to keep Black people from voting. The number is a stark contrast to more than 155,000 felons who had their rights restored under an โautomaticโ process initiated by Scottโs predecessor, former Gov.
Bloomberg raises millions to help Florida felons vote
The former Democratic presidential candidate has helped raise more than $20 million so that felons who completed their prison sentences can vote in the presidential election. Bloomberg also has pledged $100 million to help Joe Biden win Florida. Working together with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, we are determined to end disenfranchisement and the discrimination that has always driven it,โ Bloomberg said in a written statement. The Florida Rights Restitution Coalition had raised about $5 million before Bloomberg made calls to raise almost $17 million more, according to Bloomberg staffers. ____This version corrects the name of the group to Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
Bloomberg raises millions to help Florida felons vote
The former Democratic presidential candidate has helped raise more than $20 million so that felons who completed their prison sentences can vote in the presidential election. Bloomberg also has pledged $100 million to help Joe Biden win Florida. Working together with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, we are determined to end disenfranchisement and the discrimination that has always driven it,โ Bloomberg said in a written statement. The Florida Rights Restitution Coalition had raised about $5 million before Bloomberg made calls to raise almost $17 million more, according to Bloomberg staffers. ____This version corrects the name of the group to Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
โItโs voter suppression:โ Ex-felon reacts to court ruling
That ruling reverses a lower court judgeโs decision that gave Florida felons the right to vote regardless of outstanding financial obligations. Members of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition said that could have a huge impact on the upcoming election. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is an organization that helps people with convictions transition back into society. The organization started a fund to help ex-felons pay their court fees so they can register to vote. Johnson said FRRC has already raised and help pay out more than $3 million in fines to help ex-felons in Florida.
Appellate court weighs Florida law on felon voting rights
He and GOP lawmakers say that to regain the right to vote, felons must not only serve their time but also pay all fines and other legal financial obligations. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday could be consequential because of the razor-thin margins that sometimes decide election contests in Florida โ a perennial battleground state. Voting rights groups immediately sued for a temporary injunction that would let felons continue registering to vote and cast ballots until the merits of the law can be fully adjudicated. He agreed with voter rights advocates that imposing the debt requirement on impoverished felons amounted to a poll tax. Earlier this month, the Florida Supreme Court issued a non-binding advisory opinion agreeing with the Republican governor.