The Florida Supreme Court has given its approval for the ballot language for a proposed amendment to the state constitution which would automatically restore the right to vote for many people with past felony convictions.
Responding to the decision, ACLU of Florida Political Director Kirk Bailey stated:
“We are very pleased that the Florida Supreme Court has approved the language for this important constitutional amendment. The language approved today reflects the belief that those who have committed crimes should be punished, but once they have fulfilled the terms of that punishment, they should be restored to full citizenship.
“Florida is one of four states with a lifetime ban on voting. This amendment modernizes Florida’s criminal justice rules by bringing our state in line with others nationwide.”
“Thousands of Floridians—from across the state and from different backgrounds have added their names to express their support for second chances. Now the work of gathering signatures and mounting a successful campaign to change the Florida Constitution begins in earnest. We look forward to Florida voters being given a chance to bring our state’s voting rules out of the 19th century and into the 21st.”
