The Sentencing Project: Disenfranchisement News & Updates - 6/14/07

Florida: Number of Disenfranchised May Dwindle Down by Presidential Election The Florida Parole Commission has reviewed more than 21,000 cases and restored the voting rights of 15,500 people who could not previously vote as a result of a felony record. Those whose rights were not restored were due to relocation from the state, a re-arrest, outstanding restitution fees and death, according to the Associated Press. In April the Clemency Board ruled that individuals with a non-violent criminal record could vote after completing their sentence. The state's Department of Corrections is loaning 100 employees a week to the Parole Commission to speed up the restoration process as Gov. Charlie Crist hopes the effort is completed before the presidential primary. Muslima Lewis, an American Civil Liberties Union of Florida attorney who oversees the group's voting rights and civil justice projects, said though she's happy to see progress, "15,500 is still a drop in the bucket when you look at the entire population of former offenders whose civil rights have not been restored." More than 1 million people are disenfranchised in Florida. A 75-year-old Florida man charged with a felony 25 years ago was charged last week with an election code violation and arrested for allegedly continuing to cast his ballot in every mid-term and presidential election from 1984 to 2000. The arrest resulted from a 2005 clemency investigation for the restoration of Miller's civil rights, including his right to vote, the Treasure Coast reported. National: Disenfranchised Vote Viewed as a 'Sleeping Giant' Michael Fauntroy, assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University and author of "Republicans and the Black Vote," analyzed the historical and conservative view behind voter disenfranchisement - particularly concerning the African-American vote. In the Huffington Post Fauntroy wrote: "African Americans and other minorities around the country are having a difficult time voting and being certain that their votes are counted. That conservatives see the black vote as a sleeping giant in American politics is proven by the lengths to which they go to lock out of the system as many people as possible. The Republican Party has spent millions in support of purge programs and 'electoral integrity' schemes with the only real purpose being to reduce the number of African Americans that vote. This money is spent because the party understands the arithmetic of black political power and the disproportionate impact African Americans can have in deciding who wins presidential general election states such as Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina." - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information: email: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org