Florida Governor Signs Law Allowing Felons to Vote but There’s a Price

Florida Governor Signs Law Allowing Felons to Vote but There’s a Price
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives at a memorial service on the one-year anniversary of the shooting which claimed 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2019. Joe Skipper/Reuters
|Updated:

Florida governor on Friday signed a bill to restore the voting rights for felons who have served their time but he wants them to pay all fines and restitution before casting a ballot, a hurdle that immediately drew a lawsuit from civil rights groups.

Governor Ron DeSantis opposed a ballot measure that Florida voters overwhelmingly approved in November allowing felons to vote after they complete their sentence, with exceptions for those convicted of murder and sexual offenses.