TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A federal appellate court has delivered a setback to Florida felons seeking to have their voting rights restored.
The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday it would stay a ruling by a lower court that restored the voting rights to hundreds of thousands of felons who had outstanding debts. The stay will remain in effect until the appeals court can review the case.
The stay could have significant national implications in November's presidential vote. Florida’s estimated 774,000 disenfranchised felons represent a significant bloc in a state well known for razor-thin election margins. Many are black and presumably Democrats.
