Supreme Court says Florida's voting rights restrictions for felons can stay in effect
The Supreme Court will allow Florida to enforce its restrictions on voting rights for felons, CNN reports.
In an unsigned order on Thursday, the court allowed Florida to implement a law under which felons must pay court fines and fees before they can vote. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan dissented. Sotomayor wrote that the court's "order prevents thousands of otherwise eligible voters from participating in Florida's primary election simply because they are poor."
A constitutional amendment passed in Florida in 2018 restored voting rights to felons who had completed their sentences. A law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), however, subsequently said they must pay fines, fees, and restitution first, The Washington Post reports. In May, Judge Robert Hinkle of the United States District Court ruled that this law, which he said set up a "pay-to-vote system," was unconstitutional, but an appeals court in July blocked his ruling and set a hearing for the same date as the state's upcoming August primary, USA Today reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Axios reports that under that appeals court's ruling, the restrictions could take effect, and with the Supreme Court declining to intervene on Thursday and block the law, this means the Florida restrictions can stay in effect "into the fall, if not longer."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Kelly Cates to present Match of the Day
Speed Read Sky Sports presenter to take over from Gary Lineker at start of next season
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Eclipses 'on demand' mark a new era in solar physics
Under the radar The European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission gives scientists the ability to study one of the solar system's most compelling phenomena
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: December 16, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published