Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2020-09-07)

ELECTION 2020

3. PEOPLE

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FLORIDA’S NEWLY

ENFRANCHISED

CHARACTERISTICS ○ Some of the 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions who had their

voting rights restored in 2018—with state-imposed conditions

In2018,Floridavoterspasseda ballotinitiative,Amendment4,thatrestoredvotingrightsto1.4millionresidentswhohad

previouslybeenconvictedofa felony.Itlookedlikea milestoneforvotingrights:Almost1 in5 Blackadultsinthestatewas

unabletocasta ballot.Ifevena portionofthispopulationmadeit tothepolls,it couldalterFloridaelectionoutcomes,

perhapsdecisively.○ ButlastyeartheRepublican-ledstatelegislatureandRepublicanGovernorRonDeSantisteamedupto

passa billunderminingAmendment4 byrequiringex-felonstorepayalloutstandingfinesandjudicialfeestoberegisteredto

vote.Estimatessuggest1 millionex-felons,whocollectivelyoweabout$1billion,couldbebarredfromvotingunlesstheyrepay

theirfines(difficulttodo,sincenocentralstatedatabasetracksdelinquentdebts).Civilrightsgroupscalledthenewlawan

unconstitutional“polltax”andsuedtostopit.InMaya U.S.districtjudgecondemnedFlorida’s“pay-to-votesystem”andruled

thestatecouldn’tprohibitex-felonsfromvoting.ButinJulya federalappealscourthaltedthegroup’svoterregistration,granting

DeSantis’srequest,andweekslatertheU.S.SupremeCourtchosenottointervene.DespiteRepublicanefforts, many ex-felons

should still be able to vote this fall—although no one is sure how many will turn out.�Joshua Green

KEITH IVEY ○ 47 ←

○ JACKSONVILLE ○ self-employed

“I actually have a voter

registration card and was able to

vote in a local election here several

months ago, before the appeal

happened. Then they took my voting

rights away for a second time. I’m

still trying to find out exactly how

much I owe [in fines or fees]. It’s

pay-for-play, pure politics.

“We’re regular people. We’re not

crazed maniacs. Yes, I did serve time.

ButI have a family. I’m a father, a

son, a grandparent now. I want to be

regular again.”