Florida voters amended the state Constitution in 2018 to make it easier for ex-felons to vote, a promise the state’s Republican leadership has blocked at every turn. Nobody should doubt that this disenfranchisement will continue, so the question becomes: What will Floridians do to make this constitutional guarantee finally become a reality?
The folly of expecting Gov. Ron DeSantis to do the right thing was highlighted again by a Tampa Bay Times report that exposed a new front in the weaponization of felon voting rights. A week after DeSantis announced the arrests of 20 felons in August for alleged voter fraud, his administration quietly made a change that could help the state go after more people.
Starting in August, Floridians on probation have been required to sign an updated form placing the burden on them to determine if they’re eligible to vote. “By signing this letter,” the form states, “you agree that you are solely responsible for determining if you are legally able to register to vote and that you must solely determine if you are lawfully qualified to vote.”
