Billionaire Michael Bloomberg Michael BloombergTop Democratic super PAC launches Florida ad blitz after Bloomberg donation The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Latest with the COVID-19 relief bill negotiations The Memo: 2020 is all about winning Florida MORE has reportedly raised more than $16 million in an effort to help convicted felons in Florida register to vote.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition estimated Bloomberg's fundraising push has already paid off monetary obligations for 32,000 felons, Axios reported.
"The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and no American should be denied that right," a Bloomberg spokesperson told the news outlet. "Working together with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, we are determined to end disenfranchisement and the discrimination that has always driven it."
Florida passed a law in 2018 reinstating voting rights for felons that dictated they could register only if they pay all fines, fees and restitution — sometimes totaling more than $1,000 — owed to the government.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Florida, last week ruled to uphold the law.
j_andrew_h on September 22nd, 2020 at 14:53 UTC »
This is huge. We voted in Florida to amend the constitution to allow felons the right to vote after serving their time. Then the GOP spent our tax dollars to fight against the measure and pushed for this idea that they have only served their time once they have paid all of these other fees which most can't afford.
By the way, the GOP here in Florida (and everywhere) does not in any way respect the will of the people. This is the second constitutional amendment that the people voted for that the GOP then spent millions of our own tax dollars to fight against. The other one was the "Fair Districts Act" which was supposed to fix our horribly gerrymandered districts. They really don't want fair elections and don't care if we demand them!
Edit: Thanks for the gold!
nowhereman136 on September 22nd, 2020 at 14:23 UTC »
Trump won Florida by a margin of only 113,000 votes
Bush won Florida by a margin of only 537 votes. Yes, less than 1000, and it was the deciding state in that election.
Getting 32,000 more voters in Florida is a big deal and could decide who wins down there
Edit: even if none of them vote at all, I would rather they have the right to choose than to be stripped of the right to vote altogether. Even if all of them vote against my preferred candidate, I would still support their right because democracy itself is more important than any one candidate. All im saying with these numbers is that 32,000 extra voters are plenty to sway an election either way and that's important. Whoever is president next year will be the president of everyone; rich, poor, black white, man, women, lawyer, teacher, police officer, doctor, drug dealer, convict, and used car salesman. He is everyones president and everyone has the equal right to voice their choice for who that should be. I do not want to strip away anyone's rights just because I think differently than them
Custergrant on September 22nd, 2020 at 13:57 UTC »
Why it matters: Trump needs Florida to have any chance of winning, and current polling is pretty evenly split between Trump and Biden.