Should we restore felons’ voting rights?

Florida prohibits more than 1.6 million former felons from voting. It is one of only three states in the nation that permanently bars them from voting unless they receive clemency. Should that change?

If supporters of what’s called the Voting Restoration Amendment gather 683,149 signatures, Florida voters in November 2018 could change the state constitution to restore rights after people complete all terms of their sentence. (Terms of sentence include parole or probation).

The amendment would not apply to people convicted of murder or sexual offenses. Those felons would still have to apply for clemency to the governor and Cabinet on a case-by-case basis.

In Florida, many crimes such as driving with a revoked license or trespassing on a construction site are felonies. As Darryl Paulson, an emeritus professor of government at the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg, told the Orlando Sentinel in March, those crimes are considered lesser misdemeanors in other states.

Should Florida restore felons’ rights?

As efforts intensify to secure the necessary number of signatures to place the Voting Restoration Amendment on the ballot, we turn to two Floridians who feel passionately about restoration of rights with opposite viewpoints:

Charlie Crist, who as governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011, restored voting rights to 155,315 felons. Now a member of Congress from St. Petersburg, Crist “has evolved from Republican to Independent to Democrat,” as the Washington Post describes him.

Michael T. Morley, an assistant professor at Barry University Law School who teaches election law.