Florida Felons Regain the Right to Vote in Florida

by Jon Greenbaum

On April 5, 2007, the Florida State Clemency Board, made up of Gov. Charlie Crist and members of the Florida Cabinet, voted 3-1 to allow most people with felony convictions to regain the right to vote. Under the new rules, the roughly 80 percent of ex-offenders whose crimes were not considered violent will win automatic rights restoration after the state makes sure they have paid any restitution to victims and have no pending criminal charges. This will affect some 950,000 ex-felons in the state. Previously, most felons who finished prison and probation time had to submit to a lengthy review by the clemency board, which only meets a few times a year and a waiting period if they wanted to regain the right to vote. Sometimes an investigation and hearing are required as well. Only two other states, Kentucky and Virginia, constitutionally require all felons to forfeit their voting rights. A federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Florida’s ban made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court but was declined by the Court.

• In a Break From the Past, Florida Will Let Felons Vote (NY Times, April 5, 2007)
• Florida Governor Wins Voting Rights for Ex-Felons (Reuters, April 5, 2007)