Home  News Local News Voting rights restored
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Sunday, 22 June 2008 |
More than 115,000 ex-felons have had their voting rights restored since the new rules came into effect April 2007, Gov. Charlie Crist has said.
The rule, set by the Board of Executive Clemency, which Crist chairs, gives almost automatic restoration of ex-felons’ rights, ending the old rules which required the group to restore rights on an individual basis.
Crist, who had supported a more lenient plan, said he was pleased with the progress and trusted that those numbers will soon increase. He said society should welcome back ex-felons as long as they have paid their debt to society.
Despite the high numbers who are now able to vote, some 80 percent of the state’s ex-offenders remain disenfranchised.
But, with general elections on the horizon and Florida poised to be a crucial state in deciding the elections, many are in agreement with Crist when he said the reinstatement of ex-felons’ voting rights “could make an enormous difference in November.”
Florida has in recent years been wrought by election mishaps and tensions are high leading up to what is being viewed as one of the most important elections in recent times. The state has also come under the microscope for their strict rules on voter registration. Incidentally, Florida has the largest population of the three states that take voting rights from felons.
The topic reared was a point of discussion in a political forum Tuesday night on WAVS 1170. Candidate for State Representative for District 94, Roshawn Banks, highlighted the problem of ex-offenders and their inability to function in society because of this restriction and pledged to work to ensure that ex-felons right to vote and to get jobs that require state licenses are restored. She said if ex-felons were not allowed these rights, they will be prompted to once again turn to criminal activities to survive.
According to statistics, roughly a third of the more than 11,000 prisoners released yearly go back into prison after three years.
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