felon voting rights
-
Black Ex-Felons Will Bear the Brunt of Florida’s New ‘Poll Tax’ Law, According to Findings of New Study
Some 80 percent of Florida’s ex-felons eligible to vote will be barred from registering under a new state law, including a disproportionate number of blacks, despite a clear majority of voters approving a change to the state’s constitution meant to restore their voting rights. That’s the finding of a preliminary study done by a University…
-
A Poll Tax By Any Other Name: Florida’s Senate Mandates Bill Payment Before Felons Get to Vote
Last week, Florida’s House set things in motion with regard to mandating felons meet certain “financial obligations” before having their voting rights restored, and now Florida’s Senate has followed suit. The Senate passed a bill Thursday that would allow felons to vote, but only after “all financial obligations ordered by a judge” were paid, the…
-
Is This the New Poll Tax? Florida House Passes Bill Requiring Former Felons to Pay Up Before They Can Vote
In November, people in the state of Florida voted “yes” on Amendment 4—an initiative that would restore voting rights to more than one million former felons. The amendment would restore the rights of those with felony convictions who had completed their sentences—including prison terms, parole and probation. The only exclusion was those who had been…
-
Cory Booker Proposes Getting a Day Off to Get Your Vote On
Saying there is a need for a “new Voting Rights Act,” U.S. Sen. Cory Booker promised a number of voting reforms if he became president in 2020, including making Election Day a national holiday and restoring the voting rights of ex-felons. “During my presidency, we will fight to protect and expand every American’s right to…
-
Florida Republicans Slam the Brakes on Felons Looking to Restore Their Voting Rights
Remember in November when Floridans took to the polls, channelled Spike Lee, and Did the Right Thing by voting “yes” on Amendment 4? For those who can’t recall the fine details of the citizen-proposed ballot initiative, it reinstated the voting rights for people with felony convictions—excluding murder or sexual offenses—upon completion of their sentences. And…
-
Roy Moore and Alabama’s GOP Are Upset Because Thousands of Felons Registered to Vote
Leonard Robinson was convicted of felony possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute by the state of Alabama more than 20 years ago. Although he doesn’t consider himself an activist, everyone who knows him understands that there is one subject that he is always passionate about. He works hard to spread the word that…
-
Former Felons Voted in Tuesday’s Elections and Republicans Are Big Mad
If you noticed a change in the climate at the polls, specifically in the atmospheric pressure due to moisture in the air, it might be because of the meteorological phenomenon known to research scientists as Blubberus caucasianus, more commonly referred to as “white tears.” Lost in the hullabaloo surrounding Democratic victories around the country on…
-
Ala. Restores Voting Rights for Thousands With Felony Convictions
In a move that’s sure to get people’s underwear in a bunch among those who are already against granting people the right to vote, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a bill restoring thousands of Alabama felons’ right to vote. Voting rights were granted to some felons after the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act was…