This Ballot Initiative Could Change The Landscape Of American Politics

The 2018 midterms are being built up as “The most important election of our lives,” but the issue that could fundamentally change the political atmosphere in one of the most important swing states in America is barely getting any play, roughly two weeks from election day.

Amendment 4 in Florida would restore the right to vote for all felons, with an exception for those who have been convicted of murder and rape. The initiative has the support of major interest groups on both the right and the left, including the ACLU and Americans For Prosperity.

“There’s strong recognition that this is good bipartisan public policy whose time has come,” said Reggie Garcia, a clemency lawyer and author who lives in Tallahassee.

There are currently 1.7 million convicted felons in Florida, the vast majority of whom would gain the right to vote if this initiative passes. There are concerns that this could shift the political landscape in the sunshine state. Still, the issue has barely even come up in tight races for governor and Senate in the state.

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