2018 US Midterm Election Tuesday Nov 06,2018 - Florida restores voting rights to ex-convicts

An estimated 1.2 million Florida residents who have served time in prison have regained the right to vote, thanks to passage of a new state constitutional amendment.

Amendment 4 received 65% of the vote changing 150-year-old language in the state's constitution.

Previously, Florida was one of just four states in the US that automatically and permanently revoked voting rights from anyone who had been convicted of a felony-level crime.

Previously, formerly incarcerated Floridians had to wait five years after their release, then apply for clemency from the governor's office.

Since 2011, Republican Governor Rick Scott has only given the vote back to about 2,000 people.

To be eligible, former prisoners must complete their sentences and all the terms of their release, including probation.

The language of the amendment excludes those convicted of murder and serious sexual offenses, but supporters still estimate that over 1 million Floridians who have served time in prison would become newly eligible to vote.

A cross-party, grassroots coalition gathered about 800,000 signatures to get the amendment on the 6 November ballot.

The measure needed 60% to pass.