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Fact Sheet

Florida Bans Voting Rights of Over One Million Citizens

Florida surpasses every state in the nation with the largest number of U.S. citizens disenfranchised due to a felony conviction.

Related to: Voting Rights, Racial Justice, State Advocacy

Florida surpasses every state in the nation with the largest number of U.S. citizens disenfranchised due to a felony conviction.

An astounding 1.15 million Floridians cannot vote because of a felony conviction. The overwhelming majority of this group, 935,000 Floridians, have completed their sentence but not yet fully paid court fines, fees, costs, or restitution. They are denied access to the ballot box simply because legal financial obligations are a barrier to reenfranchisement—a poverty penalty.

Click here to read the full fact sheet.

About the Author

  • Kristen M. Budd, Ph.D.

    Senior Research Analyst

    Kristen M. Budd, Ph.D., is the voting rights campaign lead researcher. She has written about the link between voting rights and public safety and racial disparities due to state-level voting bans as a result of felony convictions. She also conducts research on criminal justice law, policy and practice, including sentencing for sex-related offenses, the link between incarceration and crime, and criminal legal reforms.

    Read more about Kristen

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