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.