THE RIGHTS – Florida Rights Restoration Coalition seeks to HELP Sarasota and Manatee County
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition seeks to help to return citizens in Sarasota and Manatee County regain their right to vote before the 2020 presidential election
BY JESSIKA WARD
BRADENTON — Manatee County joins The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition this year, starting a chapter that meets in Bradenton. The FRRC is a grassroots organization ran by returning citizens (formerly incarcerated people). Tracey Washington, a returning citizen who cannot legally vote, joined the FRRC and started the chapter in Bradenton because she wants her political voice back. “The thought of not having employment or housing didn’t bothermeasmuchasnot having the right to vote,” said Washington. In the state of Florida, incarcerated people lose their right to vote if they’re a parolee, in prison, and on probation. Before Amendment 4 passed by ballot on November 6, 2018, felons lost their right to vote for life and could only get their right to vote restored by action of the governor. Amendment 4 is the Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative that began as a campaign sponsored by the FRRC. It restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole and probation. The amendment does not allow Floridians convicted of murder or sexual offenses to regain their right to vote. Though Washington can’t vote she sees Amendment 4 as a life changer. “I can’t change anything without having a voice to vote,” said Washington. “I want to get as many returning citizens as possible registered to vote.” According to Vox, Amendment 4 initially gave as many as 1.4 million Floridians the right to vote, but the senate passed a bill that required a person to pay all of their court fees, fines, and restitution in order for someone to be eligible to regain their right to vote. Vox says the senate’s newly passed measure likely limited the impacted number of Floridians who regained their right to vote. Many have called the senate’s action a poll tax—a practice in the Jim Crow south that kept African Americans from voting. The FRRC is raising money to pay court fees for returning citizens.
“FRRC won’t pay restitution and [the returning citizen] cannot be on probation or parole,” said Washington. “You have to apply. You can go to FRRC’s website or call their hotline for the application.”
Mackie Allen, a Palmetto resident, attended the FRRC’s first meeting held in Bradenton at the Manatee County Public Library. Allen knows firsthand the struggles associated with regaining the right to vote and readjusting to society after spend ing time behind bars. Allen says he spent 25 years behind bars and has been back in society for 12 years. He says he regained his right to vote in 2018 and he looks forward to voting in a presidential election for the first time in 2020
. “Amendment 4 was a very very giant step for ex-offenders because it will open up a broader door for people like myself,” said Allen. “I just got my card and this will be my first-time voting.”
