felon voting rights
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LeBron James, Michael Jordan Help Erase $27 Million In Court Fees, Allowing Felons In Florida to Vote
For convicted felons in Florida, one of their biggest hurdles in exercising their right to vote is exorbitant court fees and fines that prevent them from being eligible to do so. But thanks to LeBron James, Michael Jordan and other celebrities who have partnered with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, nearly 13,000 felons will be…
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In Virginia and Florida, People With Felonies Seek to Gain Influence In 2020 Elections
When Carol Bradley-Cousins got her voting rights restored in 2015, she had already paid nearly $15,000 in fines to the Commonwealth of Virginia and was denied twice before succeeding on her third try. Since then, she has voted in every election, with 2016 being the first in which she cast a ballot. “It was like…
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Federal Appeals Court Packed With Trump Appointees Rules That Former Felons in Florida Have to Pay Fees to Vote
A groundbreaking constitutional amendment that restored voting rights to about 775,000 people with former felonies in Florida has been devastatingly undercut by the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which ruled on Friday that the would-be voters must pay all fines and fees they may owe to the state if they want to go to…
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40,000 Former Inmates in Iowa Have Their Voting Rights Restored After Governor Signs Executive Order
On Wednesday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed an executive order that immediately restored voting rights to former inmates who have completed their sentences. According to NBC News, this move means Iowa is no longer the only state to permanently disenfranchise former inmates. Approximately 40,000 former inmates who have completed their prison sentences, probation and parole…
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Supreme Court Strikes Major Blow to Voting Rights, Won’t Change Florida Voting Rules for Felons
In 2018, Florida voters made a momentous decision: restoring the right to vote for those convicted of a felony, so long as they’ve fulfilled their prison time, parole or probation. But since then, the state of Florida has introduced what has been deemed as a modern-day voting tax for released felons, mandating that they pay…
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A Federal Judge Has Cut Down Florida's Law Requiring Former Felons Pay Fines Before Registering to Vote
Voting rights advocates in Florida and across the country are celebrating a recent federal judge ruling that opens the door for 1.5 million felons previously barred from voting to participate in the 2020 elections. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle has gutted a state law passed by Republican legislators in Florida that requires people with…
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Texas Upholds Draconian Conviction for Woman Who Cast an 'Illegal Vote' in 2016: 'It's a Tragedy'
Crystal Mason, sentenced to five years in prison for casting an illegal ballot, had her appeal denied by a Texas judge last week. As the Texas Tribune reports, on Thursday, a three-judge appellate panel affirmed Mason’s conviction for casting an illegal ballot in the 2016 presidential election. Mason, who was on probation for a federal…
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Court Rules in Favor of Ex-Felons Over Florida Voting Law
Republican attempts to suppress the voting rights of anyone who may be against them have become more and more prevalent in recent years. Luckily, courts have been stepping in to hit them with a “Nah.” The Hill reports that an 11th Circuit U.S Appeals Court has ruled in favor of an injunction filed on behalf…
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New Kentucky Governor Restores Voting Rights to More Than 100,000 Formerly Incarcerated
Fresh into his new job as governor of Kentucky, Democrat Andy Beshear signed an executive order Thursday to restore voting rights to more than 140,000 formerly incarcerated Kentuckians—a move that inordinately affects voting rights for African Americans in the Bluegrass State. As the Washington Post reports: On its face, Mr. Beshear’s executive order is race-blind.…