Florida

Weeks after after Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, won a court victory to keep felons from voting until they have paid off fines, restitution and court fees, the billionaire and former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination Mike Bloomberg has stepped in to help them pay off the debts.Bloomberg is part of an effort that raised more than $20m to help felons who have completed sentences vote in the presidential election. That’s in addition to the $100m he has pledged to help Joe Biden win Florida, a crucial state with 29 electoral college votes that Donald Trump hopes will keep him in the White House.A federal appellate court ruled on 11 September that in addition to serving their sentences, Florida felons must pay all fines, restitution and legal fees before they can regain the vote. The case could have broad implications for the November elections.Under Amendment 4, which Florida voters passed overwhelmingly in 2018, felons who have completed their sentences would have voting rights restored. Republican lawmakers then moved to define what it means to complete a sentence.Before the measure passed, Florida was one of four states that permanently banned all people convicted of felonies for life. The ban, rooted in the Jim Crow south, affected an estimated 1.4 million people, including more than one in five eligible Black voters.In addition to time served, lawmakers directed that all legal financial obligations, including unpaid fines and restitution, would also have to be settled. Civil rights groups challenged the law in 2019, saying it amounted to requiring a tax on voting.During a federal trial earlier this year, Florida officials testified that it was extremely difficult to tell people exactly how much money they owe. There is no centralized database for people with felonies to look up how much money is owed and record-keeping can be spotty, especially for crimes that go back decades.In a searing May ruling, US district judge Robert Hinkle said Florida had to allow people to vote if they could not afford to pay outstanding financial obligations. He also ordered the state to come up with a formal way of telling people how much they owe. But the appeals court this month reversed Hinkle’s ruling, even saying Florida had no obligation to tell people how much they owe.With Bloomberg’s help, the Florida Rights Restitution Council (FRRC) is trying to make it easier to pay off fines and fees. The group had raised about $5m before Bloomberg made calls to raise almost $17m more, according to Bloomberg advisers.The FRRC said other donors include John Legend, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Ben & Jerry’s, Levi Strauss, the Miami Dolphins, the Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat and Steven Spielberg.The money is targeted for felons who registered to vote while the law was in question and who owe $1,500 or less. That accounts for about 31,100 people, Bloomberg advisers say. In a state that decided the 2000 presidential election by 537 votes, that could be critical in a year when polls show Trump and Joe Biden in a dead heat.There are about 774,000 people with felony convictions who cannot vote because they owe money, according to an estimate by an expert for the American Civil Liberties Union, which challenged the law.Even with an influx of money, it will be an uphill battle to get people registered ahead of Florida’s 5 October voter registration deadline for the 2020 election. There is still widespread confusion about the law in the state and it can be difficult for people to figure out how much they owe.Organizers say they are not targeting people registered with a particular political party.“To hell with politics, to hell with any other implications or insinuations, at the end of the day it’s about real people, real lives, American citizens who want to be a part of this,” said Desmond Meade, the group’s executive director. “People with felony convictions have had their voices silenced for so long.” More