As Gov. Rick Scott鈥檚 Cabinet meets for its last clemency board meeting before the state鈥檚 general election, the conversation surrounding felon voting rights is ramping up. One amendment on the ballot could put a new restoration system in place.
In the last few months, a federal district judge declared the state鈥檚 system 鈥渦nconstitutional,鈥� taking issue with the discretion it leaves the Governor鈥檚 cabinet to grant clemency. Judge Mark Walker ordered an overhaul. But a higher court granted a stay on the decision, leaving change uncertain in the meantime. Amendment 4, which made its way to the ballot by way of citizens鈥� initiative, could change all that. It would automatically restore voting rights for the state鈥檚 felons.
In April, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum spoke at a rally for Amendment 4, alongside Al Sharpton.
鈥淲e have a chance November 6, to restore that right 鈥� that opportunity, and dignity, for all Floridians,鈥� Gillum told a crowd outside the State Capitol.
Calls for an overhaul of Florida鈥檚 current voting rights restoration system are not new to Floridians. They are, however, garnering attention at the national level. Comedian John Oliver hosts HBO鈥檚 Last Week Tonight. He implored Florida voters in his most recent episode to support Amendment 4.
鈥淭his November Florida, you鈥檝e got a real chance to remedy a mistake, and do something genuinely good for over a million of your citizens,鈥� Oliver said.
At its last meeting before the November election, the issue of people with a felony in their past voting illegally came up several times with applicants. Some say they did so unwittingly, like Scott Friedman in this exchange with Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam:
Putnam: 鈥淲hy did you vote illegally twelve times?鈥�
Friedman: 鈥淚 shouldn鈥檛 answer because I thought y鈥檃ll might need my vote. I shouldn鈥檛 answer that.鈥�
Putnam: 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 recommend it.
Friedman: 鈥淭hen I won鈥檛. I didn鈥檛 know I was voting illegally.鈥�
The next meeting of the board will be Dec. 5.
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