Ex-felons deserve right to vote after time served

The piers being built at Bradenton Beach are closed, each with a chain link fence and sign that reads: "No trespassing, under penalty of felony."

Curious, I looked up "felony" as it applies to Florida, as each state has its own way of penalizing citizens guilty of a felony. I am not an ex-felon, by the way, and I do not know anyone who is an ex-felon. I never asked.

Besides the more obvious penalties imposed on a convicted felon, Florida revokes an ex-felon's right to vote, even after all penalties... prison, fines, probation, etc, have been paid, for at least five years, and after that one must apply to a clemency board to have voting rights restored. If application is not made and approved, one can never vote again.

I found that 39 states allow ex-felons to vote immediately after their penalties have been paid, no application necessary. Two states even allow imprisoned felons to vote through the mail!

Among the 11 states that deny voting rights, there are about six million ex-felons, and about 1.5 million of them live in Florida -- 1.5 million non-voters, by rule of law.

I am ashamed Florida denies voting rights to ex-felons who have made all possible amends per law, penalizing them as non-participants, as low-class citizens.

Voting is the essence of our democracy. We are all responsible for how things are going. The more voters, the better - we all should have a say.

So don't trespass on the piers! We need your vote.

Tom Matheson

Bradenton

This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 7:44 PM with the headline "Ex-felons deserve right to vote after time served ."