Florida does not permit ex-felons to register to vote, unless the Governor restores that individual’s voting rights. A proposed Florida constitutional amendment is circulating to let ex-felons register, if they are off parole or probation. The initiative excludes persons convicted of murder or certain sexual offenses.
The initiative needs 766,200 valid signatures. It currently has 638,343 signatures that have already been validated. The organizers of the petition drive believe they need another 130,000 signatures to be safe, and they hope to obtain them by February 1, so the initiative can go on the November 2018 ballot. See this story. Thanks to Michael Drucker for this news.
So people who committed murder are too scary to allow to vote? I’ve never understood this stripping of someone’s rights. The punishment is supposed to be prison time, and after that is up, as far as I’ve ever been concerned, they should get all the rights that a normal U.S. citizen has. I don’t care at all if someone who was in prison for murder or sexual offenses votes. They did their time, not let them be full-fledged members of society again. I wish them the best of luck, but 130,000 signatures in one month is extremely hefty.
How many convicts due to FALSE evidence (esp. planted evidence by cops) and/or very selective prosecution (racism, of the party NOT in *power*, etc, etc, etc.) ???
There is no such thing as an ex-felon. If someone is convicted of armed robbery they are convicted of a felony. After they complete their sentence, they are not an ex-robber.
Florida is one of three states that do not restore the franchise on completion of a felony sentence.
Brits are a bit different.
After punishment is done, a convict is restored to *normal* non-criminal status —
ie any reference to prior criminal status is major libel/slander —
to keep down the stigma stuff.
Not only should all stigma be removed upon completion of incarceration, but there is no reason to strip anyone of voting rights in the first place. To my knowledge there are only two US states left that allow prisoners to vote while incarcerated, which iirc are Maine and Vermont, but it’s common in other countries.
As for the number of signatures needed on the petition – FL needs about a million raw sigs on an amendment so 130k is not an insurmountable number, especially given that it’s common for petitions to ramp up towards the end date. If they have enough money for paid petitioners they will probably make it, as that kind of money is generally not spent without a plan to finish. Furthermore, if the law hasn’t changed in this respect, FL signatures carry over, ie if you don’t make one election deadline the prior signatures don’t expire – for, iirc, 4 years – and you just get the remainder of the signatures to qualify for the following election.
@Demo Rep, so in the UK a serial pedophile can get a job in a daycare the day after he gets out? I’m not saying reducing the stigma is a bad thing, I just have a hard time believing that.
BL— Obviously there can be lifetime punishments for various crimes —
see the *infamous* in the 5th Amdt — derived from Brit law.
Also – the crime/punishment obviously does NOT go away if other later crimes happen —
e.g. 1st felony = possible 10 years, 2nd felony = possible 20 years, etc.
Should only ALLEGIANCE to a regime and age/residence be qualifications to be an Elector-Voter ???
NO crimes stuff, NO mental stuff, etc. [all subject to manipulation by the hacks] ???
“a serial pedophile can get a job in a daycare the day after he gets out?”
If you think he’s such a danger to society he should not be let out at all.
@Paulie, I’m not saying one way or another that would be good or bad, merely that I doubt its case in the UK. If for no other reason than the PR such a stance would have.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/01/03/michigan-mccann-exonerated-perjury-conviction/109137958/
One more illegal conviction.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2018/01/05/michigan-pays-wrongly-convicted-teen/109181248/
One more illegal conviction — how many since 1776 ???
What is the reason to further punish an ex-felon who has served their term. In my view the punishment for a felon should end when they are released.