The Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, declined to stay a ruling by an appeals court that would allow Florida to force felons to pay outstanding fines before they are allowed to vote:
BREAKING: US Supreme Court sides with Florida and blocks hundreds of thousands of people with felony convictions from participating in upcoming elections.
Sotomayor, Ginsburg and Kagan dissent.
https://t.co/JvekbCwEnh— Danny Rivero (@TooMuchMe) July 16, 2020
BREAKING: US Supreme Court in a 6-3 vote declines to change Florida voting rule that would make it easier for tens of thousands of convicted felons in Florida to vote if they haven't paid all their court fines, @PeteWilliamsNBC reports.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 16, 2020
Here’s more from Axios:
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block Florida’s rules that prevent some convicted felons from voting — a temporary win that will leave the state’s restrictions in place into the fall, if not longer.
This legal dispute will ultimately determine whether hundreds of thousands of Floridians are eligible to vote — enough to swing an election.
Florida voters approved a measure in 2018 to restore felons’ voting rights after they’ve completed their sentences. But Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) then signed a law that said felons would only get their voting rights back after they’ve not only served out their prison terms, but also paid any outstanding fines and penalties.
A judge ruled DeSantis’ restrictions unconstitutional, but a federal appeals court has allowed them to take effect while the legal dispute over their merits continues.
Voting rights advocates asked the Supreme Court to intervene and put the state’s payment requirements on ice while the case works its way through the courts. The court declined that request today.
The case will continue in the appeals court this fall:
To be clear this is not the end of the road .. The fed appeals court hears arguments in this case on August 18 — the same day as primary day in Florida.
Then that appeal will be decided, and will in all likelihood be appealed to SCOTUS once again, regardless of who wins.
— Danny Rivero (@TooMuchMe) July 16, 2020
As I suggested in the title, liberals are incensed over the decision by the high court, with some calling it a “poll tax” or a ‘pay-to-vote’ scheme:
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has allowed Florida to require former felons to repay fees before being allowed to register to vote.
This is nothing but a modern day poll tax. https://t.co/zx1zmgh9R9
— America Votes (@AmericaVotes) July 16, 2020
Prison sentences weren’t the only punishment for these felons. Just because they are out of prison doesn’t mean their debt to society has been fully paid. Signing this law forcing felons to pay their debt was a good move by DeSantis. Once they’ve paid it their right to vote can be restored and they can vote like everyone else.