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Supreme Court temporarily blocks felons from voting in Florida

BringBackSonics

BringBackSonics

Member
Oct 27, 2017
45,029
Seattle
Absolutely horrendous decision by SCOTUS. This disenfranchise more than 800,000 people. It is a poll tax. Is there a group that we can donate to help pay these fees? I'll donate money right now to help people be able to vote.

www.usatoday.com

Supreme Court temporarily blocks felons from voting in Florida

Voting rights groups told the Supreme Court that Florida's system amounts to a "poll tax" that violates the 24th Amendment to the Constitution.
www.usatoday.com

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court refused Thursday to let Florida felons who have completed their sentences vote in an upcoming primary without first paying fees, fines and restitution, as the state requires.

Voting rights groups had challenged the requirement as unconstitutional, given that state voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 giving hundreds of thousands of felons the right to vote. Now it will remain in effect while the case is heard next month by a federal appeals court.

The unsigned order was opposed by liberal Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan. Sotomayor said it "prevents thousands of otherwise eligible voters from participating in Florida's primary election simply because they are poor."

"Under this scheme, nearly a million otherwise-eligible citizens cannot vote unless they pay money," Sotomayor said, calling it a "voter paywall."
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Edit:

Donate to Fund the Fees and Fines:

wegotthevote.org

Help Florida's Returning Citizens Pay Fines and Fees

Donate today to help people with past convictions in Florida pay their fines and fees so they can move on with their lives.
wegotthevote.org wegotthevote.org
 
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Kraid

Kraid

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,246
Cuck Zone
Shocking that they'll uphold this clearly illegal poll tax, but won't rush to conclusions on scenarios where it would make it easier for people to vote in a pandemic. Fuck these Federalist Society ghouls.
 
Deepwater

Deepwater

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,349
Things like this are what make the United States a failed state but I know that's a controversial POV on this here website.
 
CrabDust

CrabDust

Member
Nov 16, 2017
1,257
I don't know what an unsigned order is, but this isn't a ruling. It goes back to a federal court for appeal.
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
Deepwater said:
voting is a basic tenant to democracy and the SCOTUS has tilted elections in Florida TWICE in 20 years.
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Tbf it just seems like a semantic argument is about to happen. A failed state doesn't just mean it isn't a democracy. Like Saudi Arabia isn't a failed state but it sure is a shitty one.
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
Pandora012 said:
I thought poll taxes where illegal. Why are they paying these fees anyway?
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The voting populace of Florida overwhelmingly voted that felons who completed their sentence should be allowed to vote and the GOP decided they didn't want to follow the will of the people to let other people vote (a real anti-democratic double whammy) and ruled that they had to pay to vote. Clearly illegal and unconstitutional and a court struck it down but the ultra racist anti-democratic fucks still weren't satisfied so they appealed it and voila.
 
CrabDust

CrabDust

Member
Nov 16, 2017
1,257
Guys, read the fucking article. This is a horrendous punt that should have been an easy call, but it's not a ruling.
 
Pandora012

Pandora012

Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
5,495
Psychoward said:
The voting populace of Florida overwhelmingly voted that felons who completed their sentence should be allowed to vote and the GOP decided they didn't want to follow the will of the people to let other people vote (a real anti-democratic double whammy) and ruled that they had to pay to vote. Clearly illegal and unconstitutional and a court struck it down but the ultra racist anti-democratic fucks still weren't satisfied so they appealed it and voila.
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Ugh, Kinda feel sick 6-3 on this one. Like how can one justify this?
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
Duck Amuck said:
Prison system is modern slavery
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I'm not black so I'm not gonna compare them as I feel like that would be pretty disrespectful to slavery pre-1865 but there's nothing modern about it, the 13th amendment explicitly states people can still be compelled into slavery for punishment for a crime.

Complete horseshit.
 
WillyFive

WillyFive

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
6,976
BringBackSonics said:
Absolutely horrendous decision by SCOTUS. This disenfranchise more than 800,000 people. It is a poll tax. Is there a group that we can donate to help pay these fees? I'll donate money right now to help people be able to vote.
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No one, not even the ex-felons, know how much they owe, cause there is no mechanism to find out.
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
bye said:
At least the olds in Florida have turned against Trump
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I mean that doesn't even matter As much as it should when the state can suppress voting whenever and however they like. Would not be surprised at all if he wins Florida again.
 

Deleted member 61909

User requested account closure
Banned
Dec 5, 2019
1,161
That restriction was challenged by voting rights groups, and in May, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle struck it down as a "pay-to-vote system." But earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit blocked Hinkle's ruling and scheduled a hearing for Aug. 18 – the date of the state primary. The registration deadline to vote is next Monday.
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this is so dumb.
 
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