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Court rules fines, fees can’t stop Florida felons from voting

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A court ruled that Florida cannot bar felons who served their time from voting, even if they haven’t paid their fines or court fees.

Amendment 4, approved by voters in 2018, allowed nonviolent felons who served their time to regain the right to vote.

Lawmakers passed a bill in 2019 that required some of those felons to pay off court fees, fines and restitution before they were able to vote. That law is now being argued in court.

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the original ruling by a Tallahassee federal judge that requiring paying all fines and fees first is an unfair poll tax.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state will immediately ask the entire 11th Circuit to reconsider the ruling.

It was not immediately clear whether felons with unpaid fees would be able to vote by the upcoming primaries.