1.6 Million More People Could Be Allowed to Vote
Al Gore beat George W. Bush in the popular vote in the 2000 presidential election, but for months the nation focused on Florida, where the term “hanging chad” infuriated voters during a seemingly endless recount. When the Supreme Court stopped the process and awarded the election to Bush, just 537 votes separated the two candidates.
In the 2016 presidential election, 29 Electoral College votes went to Donald Trump. There were just 112,911 votes separating the two candidates. The difference was barely more than one percent.
Like many Republican-led states, Florida has done its best to curtail voting rights since Republicans generally do better when less people vote.Â
That could change in the Sunshine State.
As of Tuesday enough signatures have been collected to place a ballot initiative before Florida voters. If it passes 1.6 million non-violent felons who have paid their debt to society will have their voting rights restored.
“The Voting Restoration Amendment, which the state is expected to certify soon, would automatically restore rights to citizens convicted of most non-violent crimes who have completed their prison sentence, parole, and probation. Only those convicted of murder or felony sexual offense would be excluded,” ThinkProgress reports.
There is a 60 percent threshold, so six out of ten voters would have to agree to its passage.
Nationwide, 2.5 percent of those old enough to vote are disenfranchised. According to the Sentencing Project, more than one in four of those who have lost the right to vote (27%) live in Florida.
And yes, this would be a boon for Democrats.
Pointing to a report, ThinkProgress notes that “if Floridians with felony convictions were allowed to register to vote, an estimated 258,060 would register as Democrats, 46,920 as Republicans, and 84,456 as independent and third party.
Image by Stephen Venkman via Flickr and a CC license