Federal judge bars felon voting law

A federal judge in Tallahassee ruled Sunday night that state law can’t stop felons from voting because they can’t pay back any legal fees and restitution they owe.

In a 125-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle called the law passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year a “pay-to-vote system.”

Hinkle’s order called court fees a tax and said it creates a new system for determining whether felons are eligible to vote.

The bill, which attempted to define what it means to complete a prison sentence, requires felons to pay all fines, restitution and other legal financial obligations before their sentences can be considered fully served.

The judge’s decision could have deep ramifications. Florida’s

estimated 774,000 disenfranchised felons represent a significant bloc in a state well known for razor-thin election margins. Many of those felons are black and presumably Democrats.