Felony voting rights to be restored on Tuesday morning

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - Starting Tuesday, some ex-felons can register to vote thanks to an amendment passed by Florida voters in November.

Amendment Four passed with 65% of the vote in November's midterm election, which means that about 1.4 million former felons, excluding murderers and sex offenders, will have their voting rights restored.

As of 8 a.m., convicted felons in Florida who served their sentence will be able to go into the Supervisor of Elections Office to register to vote. 

Many former felons are excited to see this day finally come. 

Desmond Meade said that "what we're seeing is a celebration of democracy. What we're seeing is a celebration of love."

Returning citizen Rashmi Airan said that this is an "opportunity for returning citizens like myself to be able to reinvent ourselves, to redeem ourselves at having a second chance to be part of our communities."

And for some, voting is a right they have never known. Dave Ayala said that "I got caught up in the juvenile justice system at the age of 12. Got my first felony conviction at the age of 16. Lost my right to vote before I was even eligible."

All of these felons have served their time and are putting their past behind them as they look toward the future.

Governor-Elect Ron Desantis, who will be sworn in on Tuesday, can still put a hold on restoring felony voting rights, though.

Even though Amendment 4 passed, there are still limitations. Felons with newly established voter registrations will not be able to regain their right to serve on a jury.