FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The effort to register Florida's newly eligible felons to vote is being stymied by the coronavirus pandemic and a disputed requirement that felons pay a series of costs.
The possibility of adding over 1 million new voters was seen as a potential boon for Democrats in this year's election.
But so far only an estimated 100,000 have been added.
Amendment 4, passed in 2018, allowed most people who have been convicted of felonies to register to vote after completing their sentences.
But now there is a court fight over whether a sentence is completed when the felon finishes prison and probation or only after paying all fines, fees and restitution.
The pandemic has also hampered voter registration drives.
