Florida Can’t Block Former Felons From Voting If They Owe Money And Can’t Pay

(Huffington Post)

Florida election officials can’t block a group of nearly 20 people with felony convictions from registering to vote if they can’t afford to repay their financial obligations, a federal judge in Florida ruled on Friday.

The ruling, a preliminary injunction, is a victory for voting rights groups that sued the state over a new law that required people with felony convictions to repay financial obligations before they could vote again.

“The court held that the right to vote cannot be denied based on a person’s inability to pay fines and fees. This ruling recognizes the gravity of elected officials trying to circumvent Amendment 4 and create voting roadblocks based on wealth,” said Julie Ebenstein, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, who represented some of the plaintiffs. Read more