In Florida, most convicted felons will regain the right to vote after they complete their sentences as the result of the passage of Florida Amendment 4. That’s great, and Iowa and other states should follow Florida’s lead.
The relevant language of the amendment reads, “Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, any disqualification from voting arising from a felony conviction shall terminate and voting rights shall be restored upon completion of all terms of sentence including parole or probation. (b) No person convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense shall be qualified to vote until restoration of civil rights.”
In plain English, that means convicted felons will get the right to vote once they have served their time, except those convicted of felony sex crimes or murder.
For democracy, this is a victory.
The punishment for almost all crimes should not include lifelong disenfranchisement. Once you have fulfilled the conditions of your sentence, you should be allowed to vote automatically, as the amendment would allow.
Under current Florida law, felons must wait five years after the conclusion of the sentences before they are eligible to reapply for the right to vote. Even then, the current process was burdensome, with only about 10 percent of applicants having their rights restored under Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican.
That leaves about 1.5 million Floridians disenfranchised, about 9.2 percent of the voting-age population.
Interestingly, both current Gov. Scott (who is running for Senate) and Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Republican running for governor, opposed the amendment. Despite their opposition, the amendment passed, indicating strong bipartisan support. The amendment needed approval from 60 percent of Florida voters.
Currently, Kentucky and Iowa are the only two states to bar all convicted felons from voting even after they have finished their sentences. In Wyoming, Nevada, and Delaware, some felons must also reapply for voting rights.
Although Virginia does not grant felons the right to vote on completion of their sentences, both current and former governors have restored their voting rights with executive power. Almost all states place some restrictions on voting rights of those convicted of crimes.
With the vote on Amendment 4, Florida voters made the right choice. Iowa and Kentucky, with similar restrictions, would do well to follow the Sunshine State’s lead. Of course, it would be even better if every state joined Vermont and Maine in letting everyone vote, but the passage of Amendment 4 is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
As of 9:30 p.m., Amendment 4 had 64.1 percent support, with 60 percent needed to pass, with 80 percent of precincts reporting.
