Florida Rights Restoration Coalition announces new partnership with We The Action to expand free legal services offered to returning citizens trying to regain their voting rights.
Orlando, FL -- The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) and We The Action (WTA) announced a statewide partnership to provide returning citizens (formerly convicted individuals) in Florida with free legal support to restore their right to vote and gain access to civil rights restoration.
FRRC, a Florida-based grassroots organization run by returning citizens, helps the state’s formerly convicted population restore their right to vote and successfully reenter society. The organization works statewide to address the systemic challenges blocking people with former felony convictions from exercising their constitutional rights. With this new partnership, We The Action will mobilize its national network of more than 40,000 volunteer lawyers to support FRRC’s mission and ensure Florida’s returning citizens have the free legal support they need to engage civically.
“Supporting democracy is not a political issue, it is an American issue,” said Neil Volz, Deputy Director of FRRC. “We believe that the best way to respond to efforts to limit voting is to get out in the community and celebrate democracy by getting people registered to vote and getting our friends and neighbors engaged in the process.”
In 2018, Florida voted overwhelmingly to pass Amendment 4, which automatically restores voting rights to approximately 1.4 million returning citizens once they have completed all terms of their sentencing. The effort to pass Amendment 4 was spearheaded by FRRC, who have since been working to help all eligible returning citizens reinstate their right to vote.
The 2018 passage of Amendment 4 represented the single greatest expansion of our American democracy since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, soon after its passage the Florida legislature implemented SB7066, which required that returning citizens must first pay all fees, fines, and court costs associated with their conviction prior to being eligible to vote.
Voting rights advocates challenged the constitutionality of SB7066 in the 11th Circuit Court of Florida, arguing that the legal financial obligation (LFO) requirement of the bill essentially serves as a “poll tax.” After a lengthy appeal process SB7066 was upheld by the courts. Meanwhile, it also ruled that the state has no obligation to even tell a returning citizen how much they may owe.
The result is an indecipherable labyrinth of red tape and fees that makes it effectively impossible for 800,000 Floridians with past convictions to reinstate their right to vote.
That’s what makes this new partnership so critical for Florida’s returning citizens. Through FRRC, Floridians with former felony convictions can now connect with a We The Action volunteer attorney who will work with them one-on-one, help them navigate the process of restoring their right to vote, and connect them with resources to pay any outstanding fines.
“We saw record voter turnout in the 2020 elections, but hundreds of thousands of eligible voters were unable to cast a ballot in Florida: returning citizens,” said Sarah Baker, President and Executive Director of We The Action. “That’s why we’re mobilizing our community of more than 40,000 lawyers to help enfranchise a community that has been excluded from the voting process for generations. With this new partnership, We The Action can support the amazing work of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to help more returning citizens exercise their constitutional rights and make their voices heard at the ballot box.”
FRRC and WTA first piloted this partnership in the months leading up to the 2020 elections. In all, 50 WTA lawyers volunteered with FRRC to help hundreds of returning citizens navigate the process of restoring their voting rights due to an out-of-state felony conviction.
In 2021, this joint work will expand to include more projects to give returning citizens the resources they need to access our democracy. For instance, We The Action is currently recruiting volunteer lawyers on FRRC’s behalf to help returning citizens in Florida review their felony convictions and apply for modifications to help streamline the process of reinstating their right to vote.
“We combat voter suppression with aggression, which means that we are going to be more aggressive in our effort to expand participation in our democracy,” said Desmond Meade, President and Executive Director of FRRC. “The FRRC ‘Free the Vote Bus Tour’ across the state is our response to those who are trying to limit democracy. We are registering people to vote, signing people up for our Fines and Fees program to remove barriers to voting, and while others may try to diminish voter participation, we are going to celebrate democracy all across the state of Florida!”
Lawyers barred in Florida can volunteer with FRRC here. Lawyers who are not barred in Florida, but are licensed to practice law, can sign up to help with legal research here.