Florida voters to decide if felons should have voting rights

Florida voters will vote in November on whether felons should have their voting rights restored.

Floridians for a Fair Democracy, the group pushing a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights, garnered about 799,000 certified signatures to get the proposed amendment on the ballot, according to The Associated Press.

On Tuesday, the Department of State updated its website to show the proposed amendment had enough signatures to make the ballot.

To pass, 60 percent of voters would have to approve the amendment.

The amendment would “restore the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation.”

The amendment would not apply to those who were convicted of murder or sexual offenses.

In Florida, felons currently have their voting rights taken away and can apply to have them restored when they complete their sentence. Felons are also required to wait five years before applying.

The measure, if passed, could affect 1.5 million people, according to the AP.