On Dec. 18, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation restoring voting rights to more than 80,000 people who are on probation or parole.
His action stands in stark contrast with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis, elected with about 4 million votes on Nov. 6, 2018, is waging a court battle over the meaning of wording in a state constitutional amendment that more than 5 million Sunshine State voters approved the same day.
Supporters of the amendment, which is now part of the Florida constitution, contend it returns voting rights to about 1.4 million returning citizens not convicted of murder and felony sex crimes. DeSantis is arguing that wording in the amendment prevents people from registering to vote until they repay all financial obligations imposed by a judge as part of a sentence.
The legal battle may eventually wind up at the U.S. Supreme Court.
At www.npr.org
