Florida received high marks in dealing with the 2020 election but the state’s system for tracking ex-felons and their eligibility to vote is still being criticized by some.
HIS BOAT BACK, IF YOU CAN HELP,SEND US AN EMAIL... NEWS AT FOX4 NOW DOT COM.WHILE FLORIDA GOT HIGH MARKS INDEALING WITH LAST WEEKS’ELECTION THE STATE’S SYSTEM FORTRACKING EX-FELONS AND THEIRELIGIBILITY TO VOTE IS BEINGCRITICIZED.FOX 4’S KATIE LAGRONE EXPLAINSWHY INDIVIDUALS WHO THOUGHTTHEIR VOTING RIGHTS WERESTORED COULD EVEN BECRIMINALLY CHARGED FOR CASTINGTHEIR BALLOT.TWO YEARS AFTER FLORIDA VOTERSAPPROVED AN HISTORIC DECISIONTHAT GIVES EX-FELONS THE RIGHTTO VOTE-- AND MORE THAN A WEEKAFTER THE MUCH ANTICIPATEDPRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 202━WE’VE LEARNED FLORIDA DOESN’TTRACK EX-FELONS WHO’VE HAD THEIRVOTING RIGHTS RESTORED UNDERAMENDMENT ━OR HOW MANY REMAININELIGIBLE TO VOTE.
"THE STATECONTINUES PROCESSING FILES," ASPOKESPERSON WITH THE DEPARTMENTOF STATE TOLD US IN AN EMAILEARLIER THIS WEEK.(voting rights advocacy group)9:39- they’ve had 2 years toget it right and they’re stilltrying to figure it out.ACCORDING TO THE VOTING RIGHTSADVOCACY GROUP, FLORIDA RIGHTSRESTORATION COALITION, OF THE1.4 MILLION EX-FELONS INFLORIDA, 87-THOUSAND OR 6.2%REGISTERED TO VOTE IN THE 2020ELECTION.
OF THOSE, EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR DESMOND MEADE SAYS ALITTLE UNDER HALF VOTED EARL━ELECTION DAY TURNOUT IS STILBEING TALLIED.1:49- to get 37,000 new peopto actually vote and to register87,000 people that isimpressive number during regulartimes, yet we did that in theface of this pandemicBUT WE’VE LEARNED SOME OF THETHOUSANDS OF EX-FELONS WHOEXERCISED THEIR RIGHT TO VOTETHIS YEARCOULD STILL BE IN FORA RUDE AWAKENING.(katie withHillsborough Supervisor)10:58- katie- so they’re couldbe ex-felons who vote in thiselection who are then deemedineligible to vote answer- yesTHAT’S BECAUSE AMONG THE FILESTHE STATE IS STILL PROCESSINGARE FORMER FELONS WHO HAVE NOTPAID OUTSTANDING FEES AND FINESFROM THEIR CONVICTIONS.(hillsborough)9:44- i don’t know that we’vegotten any of those yet-TO DATE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY’SSUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS SAYS HEHASN’T BEEN NOTIFIED OFEX-FELONS WHO VOTEDBUT AREINELIGIBLE BECAUSE OFOUTSTANDING DEBTS.
IN COLLIERCOUNT━ AN ELECTIONS OFFICESPOKESPERSON TOLD"it is not the responsibility ofour office or state to determineeligibility, it is the voter."WHO, BY LAW, COULD FACE A THIRDDEGREE FELONY IF THEY KNOWTHEY’RE NOT ELIGIBLE BUT VOTEANYWAY.
IT’S UNCLEAR IF THESTATE PLANS TO CHARGE ANYONEFROM THE 2020 RACE- BUT MEADEPOINTS TO AN OUTDATED STATESYSTEM THAT RELIES ON MULTIPLEDATABASE RUNS AND A LENGTHYNOTIFICATION PROCESS TO IDENTIFYFELONS WITH OUTSTANDING FEES.(voting rights advocacy group)10:25- they should have had asystem set up- a centralizeddatabase that’s able taccurately and quickly inform anindividual if they owe anythingunfortunately they didn’t.EX-FELONS WHO VOTED BUT
Florida received high marks in dealing with the 2020 election but the state’s system for tracking ex-felons and their eligibility..