By David Knowles
Voters in Florida (click here) have passed Amendment Four, automatically restoring voting rights to convicted felons who have served out their prison term.
At least 60 percent of voters must approve an amendment to the state’s constitution for it to become law, and the Associated Press projected Amendment Four had cleared that threshold.
The passage of the amendment could have a profound impact on Florida’s political landscape, as felons make up nearly 10 percent of the adult population in the state. An estimated 1.5 million disenfranchised Floridians will now be eligible to vote in the next election.
The restriction that denied felons the right to vote originated in the state’s post-Civil War constitution as a way to prevent freed slaves from voting....
