Fla. to Restore Felons' Voting Rights
MIAMI -- Florida agreed to help restore voting rights to nearly 125,000 convicted felons who didn't get enough advice on how to regain their rights when they walked free, officials said Thursday.
The agreement by the Department of Corrections will settle a case brought by civil rights groups. Leon County Circuit Court Judge P. Kevin Davey is expected to sign it by Friday.
About 94,000 of the felons will have to apply for a clemency hearing before the governor and Cabinet, but the rest can skip the hearing and will likely be able to vote within a year, said Randy Berg, lawyer for the Florida Justice Institute, one of the groups bringing the suit.
Florida is one of eight states that deny ex-felons the right to vote unless they take steps to have their civil rights restored by the state.
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http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-felons-voting,0,484563.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines
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