May 6, 2020

In Florida, there is battle now underway in a trial for voting rights for people with felony records. In 2018, voters in Florida approved an amendment to their State Constitution allowing people who had completed their sentence to vote.

Soon after the amendment passed, the state legislature passed a bill with further restrictions on voting. They are requiring those with felony records to pay all legal financial obligations before being able to vote. This trial seeks to remove that requirement and allow people to register to vote as soon as they complete parole.

Several non-profit organizations including the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center have sued Florida over the bill, calling it a modern-day poll tax. The trial began Monday, May 4, 2020.

In California, people who are convicted of a felony can re-register to vote once they complete parole. (source - https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-california/who-can-vote-california/voting-rights-californians/) https://www.npr.org/transcripts/849643065