Most Floridians have heard of the high-profile arrests of former felons by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ elections police force. And they might have felt little sympathy for those arrested on election-fraud charges, based on the fact that they had previously been convicted of some of the worst crimes society can imagine: Homicide and sexual offenses that sometimes involved children.
Yet a closer look reveals a lot to be concerned about, starting with the fact that DeSantis’ office has yet to offer any explanation as to why they singled out just 20 among hundreds of cases of voters flagged due to potential ineligibility — and why others, whose cases were largely identical to the 20 people charged, were not prosecuted.
Because each of the men who were charged seems to have paid their debt to society. They thought they had won some measure of redemption. When they registered to vote, they received affirmation in the form of a voter ID card with their polling place and a list of their congressional, state legislative and local districts, so they could research candidates and make decisions. Clearly, this was precious to them, which is notable in a society where many Floridians don’t even bother to register.
