SARASOTA – Felons in Florida appear to be a step closer to casting their votes in this November election.
Just days after felons in Florida were told they would have to pay all fines, restitution, and legal fees before regaining their right to vote, former presidential candidate, Mike Bloomberg raised millions to help felons get even with the state.
“That right there, that sparks encouragement to so many individuals, when they hear that or they see people such as Bloomberg, and not to mention Lebron James who is actually coming out and supporting to pay individuals fines and fees, that speaks volumes,” said community advocate, Demetrius Jifunza.
And as for Sarasota directly…
“It’s a win, win, meaning that there are so many individuals that want to vote, but they can’t because of fines and fees and the organization, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is very instrumental in the city of Sarasota of contacting those individuals and paying off those fines and fees for them,” said Jifunza.
Jifunza says he hopes this will have an impact on those in Sarasota
“It’s just that we have to continue to encourage those individuals to first register and then actually exercise their voting rights,” said Jifunza.
He says with the upcoming election cycle being so critical, you shouldn’t give up.
“Keep going and you will be amazed what it feels like to actually have that voter registration card, cause it’s not just about voting, it’s about fighting for efforts to change things so you can actually do more and that’s how I look at it voting is just a front door to so many possibilities,” said Jifunza.
Florida’s voter registration deadline is October 5th. For more information on the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, you can visit their website.