TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A federal judge is being asked to automatically restore the voting rights to former convicts in Florida who have been out of prison at least five years.
Lawyers for a voting rights organization made the request.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled earlier this month the Florida's system of restoring voting rights for felons who have served their time is arbitrary and unconstitutional and needs to be changed.
He asked both sides to tell him how the state should comply with his decision.
Gov. Rick Scott's office issued a statement on the issue: "The governor continues to stand with victims of crime. He believes that people who have been convicted of felony offenses including crimes like murder, violence against children and domestic violence, should demonstrate that they can live a life free of crime while being accountable to our communities."
