Florida Ex-Felons Can Finally Register to Vote It could lead to the largest expansion of new voters

[Demovictory9]

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Desmond Meade fills out a voter registration form with his wife, Sheena, at the Supervisor of Elections office on January 8.John Raoux/AP


“This Is What Democracy Is All About”: Florida Ex-Felons Can Finally Register to Vote
It could lead to the largest expansion of new voters since the Voting Rights Act.

On Tuesday morning, Desmond Meade went down to the the Orange County elections office in Orlando, Florida, and registered to vote for the first time in decades. Since being released from prison, where he was held on a gun possession charge, in 2005, Meade had been unable to vote because of a Florida law preventing ex-felons from casting a ballot even after they’d paid their debt to society.

In 2018, Meade—now president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC)—led the effort to pass a ballot initiative overturning the felon disenfranchisement law. It passed on November 6 with 64 percent of the vote. The initiative, known as Amendment 4, went into effect Tuesday morning.

“It was a very, very emotional moment,” Meade said on Facebook after he submitted his voter registration form, his eyes welling up with tears. He was surrounded by his wife and kids and wore a “Let My People Vote” t-shirt. “Across the state of Florida, our democracy is being expanded. That’s a great thing.”

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/01/florida-voting-rights-ex-felons-register-amendment-four-voting-rights-act/

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Oh! This is good!

I thought the new Governor was trying to undo the will of the people of Florida.

[Demovictory9]

3. he was

[Stellar]

2. I love it...

"Let my people vote".

[zipplewrath]

4. I'll be surprised if it matters much

One assumption is that this population will lean democratic. I'm a bit worried they'll predominately lean cynical and disinterested.