Amendment 4: A Movement to Reduce Ex-Felon Disenfranchisement in Florida

The paper explores the foundations of Felon Disenfranchisement in the State of Florida and how the United States Constitution allowed for individual states to implement disenfranchisement measures. The historical foundations are necessary for understanding the implications of felon disenfranchisement and its disproportionate outcomes on minority communities. With previous attempts to change policy regarding the restoration of civil rights for those disenfranchised, a different approach was needed to solve the plagued restoration process in the State of Florida. Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, a group led by ex-felons, fostered the movement to create the ballot initiative of Amendment 4 in the 2018 Florida Mid-Term election and would be largely responsible for the passage of this Amendment that created a pathway for felons who have completed their sentencing and court obligations to have their civil rights restored