Posted on 11/07/2018 12:54:08 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Florida has approved an amendment that will automatically restore voting rights to more than a million people previously convicted of felonies.
Felons who finish their full sentences, including fines, probation and parole, will now be allowed to vote in the state. The new law does not apply to anyone convicted of murder or sex offenses.
Florida's Amendment 4 passed Tuesday after exceeding the 60% threshold required to become a law.
When it goes into effect, an estimated 1.5 million people in Florida who have completed felony sentences but have not been able to vote could show up to the polls, according to the nonprofit Sentencing Project.
That's a quarter of the total number of people nationwide who are forbidden to vote because of a felony conviction.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Florida just went “blue” but they just don’t know it yet. The state has imported an enormous amount of Puerto Rico refugees from the Hurricane and now this. Florida will permanently be blue within a few election cycles as will Texas.
I’ve never understood why released felons should permanently lose their right to vote. In America, once you pay your debt to society, you are supposed to be as free as any other person.
Which party direction ex-felons might vote has nothing to do with the situation.
First thing I thought when I saw that this morning was, “OMGosh, did I vote for that???” Because I never read any of the questions, I just used the R recommendations that were mailed to me. 60% of Florida voted YES? Rs, did you goof on that placard?
Why should they not be allowed to vote?
If you are disenfranchising people just because you think they won’t vote your preference, that’s wrong!
I think that this is ultimately a good thing. When the practice of forbidding convicted felons from voting began there were far fewer crimes that were classified as felonies. Today Americans are enmeshed and trapped within a smothering web of countless laws and "regulations" which disenfranchises citizens unjustly.
This is the same backdoor method that our "betters" use to strip away our 2nd Amendment rights as well.
A good compromise would have been to permanently deny the right to vote if there is a second felony conviction. But I still think this is a bad idea. Do people think the cons are going to learn civics while they’re in prison?
I’m still waiting to hear why a felon who has paid his/her debt to society shouldn’t be able to vote.
Have yet to hear a single reason.
If they can vote, they should be able to own a gun.
Perhaps so, that’s a different question though.
Have they REALLY paid their debt? Or have they been in prison living off taxpayers $$ while pumping iron, cooking up plots, waiting to get right back into their old ways with extra muscle and new ideas? Wow, you are a bit naive.
Thanks for the good news. And doesn’t Desantis get to make three Florida Supreme Court nominations that were delayed on purpose under Rick Scott. Thank God Gilligan won’t be making them.
“Im still waiting to hear why a felon who has paid his/her debt to society shouldnt be able to vote.”
Bad for Florida and no way should it be automatic. That’s just plain lazy. Which was just passed. For felons to get back their right to vote they should have to go though a process. If they cannot make this effort than to heck with them.
Agree.
Why should have to do a damn thing other than pay their debt to society?
Naïve my ass. In America when you have served your time you have paid your debt to society.
Should they be able to get a job? Marry? Divorce? Drive? On what basis are they disenfranchised?
Every commenter I see is only upset this because they think these people will vote Democrat. So if they were expected to vote R, all around here would be fine with it.
Hypocrisy.
The situation is that 10.5 % of Florida voters are ineligible by previous laws. So, what kind of Republic do we have when we tell 1/10 people they have lost there vote for a felony conviction, most of which are marijuana possession.
Im still waiting to hear why a felon who has paid his/her debt to society shouldnt be able to vote.
Bad for Florida and no way should it be automatic. Thats just plain lazy. Which was just passed. For felons to get back their right to vote they should have to go though a process. If they cannot make this effort than to heck with them.”
Just to note, there is NO reason given in this response why they shouldn’t be able to vote other than you want it that way.
Ar3 you kidding? The Democrats will use the millions they get from their donor billionaires to recru8t the felons and get them to the polls. Florida (and Georgia) are well on the path followed by Colorado and Nevada to becoming solid blue states. This probably tips Florida over.
Trump better fight now, because 2020 is looking like a beast.
So, the Voters of FL just turned Felonies into Misdemeanors.
I assume these same Felons will be able to exercise their Second Amendment Rights as well. What’s this pick and choose stuff?
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