- Over 6 million Americans are unable to vote due to felony disenfranchisement laws
- Many lawmakers argue that convicted felons should not be allowed to vote
- Florida is the state with the highest number of disenfranchised voters, disproportionately affecting African-Americans
- Florida's governor, Rick Scott, has made it difficult for felons to regain their voting rights
- The process for regaining voting rights in Florida is arbitrary and includes questioning about personal life and religious habits
- The clemency board in Florida has the power to deny restoration of civil rights without explanation.

- The video discusses the issue of restoring civil rights to felons in Florida
- The current process is flawed and cannot handle the volume of cases
- The current governor has restored significantly fewer voting rights compared to his predecessor
- A constitutional amendment on the November ballot could potentially restore voting rights to 1.4 million people with felony convictions
- The amendment needs a 60% majority to pass
- The video appeals to the people of Florida to consider the value of second chances and vote in favor of the amendment

Many people with felony convictions are unfairly prohibited from voting, and the worst state for this — surprise — is Florida.

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For adults, 1 of the few remaining activities for which you still get a sticker.

The midterm elections are just 2 months away, when every citizen of voting age will have their chance to be heard, even this guy.

Sorry, Edgar, but the category was thing, so the answer we were looking for was fish lube.

It's the thing you use when you want to fuck a fish.

But the fact is, while that fish fucker may be able to cast a vote, a surprisingly large amount of people are barred from doing so.

It's estimated that more than 6000000 Americans are barred from voting because of felony disenfranchisement laws.

6000000 people are unable to vote because at some point in their life, they committed a felony.

For perspective, that's like if you took all the people who bought a copy of Robin Thicke's divorce opera, Paula, and then added almost 6000000 more people.

And look, if any of you are thinking at this point, well, who really gives a shit if convicted felons can't vote?

If they've committed crimes, are they the best people to judge some of these laws that are to be passed?

Would we rather live in a society where there are no consequences for our actions?

I just think that they've done something wrong, so I don't really think they should be allowed to be voting in our president and stuff like that.

You think if someone makes a mistake, it should follow them for the rest of their life, whether they were convicted of marijuana possession or went to brunch dressed like a TJ Maxx Janis Joplin.

But look, the fact here is, Many lawmakers actually agree with her.

Here is Mitch McConnell arguing that keeping felons from voting is a public safety issue.

We're talking about rapists, murderers, robbers, and even terrorists or spies.

Do we want to see convicted terrorists who seek to destroy this country voting in elections?

Okay, first, terrorists are not voting, are they?

They're all about making giant, violent points that get everyone's attention, not lining up in a public school gymnasium to write in ISIS for the school board.

And second, The most recent analysis found only 18 percent of felony convictions were for violent crimes of any sort, meaning the vast majority were for non-violent offenses like property or drug crimes.

And for those who have served their sentence but are still unable to vote, this situation is understandably frustrating.

At what point are we able to say, hey, you know what?

You want me to work, you want me to pay taxes, you want me to make sure I take care of my family, but yet, I can't vote.

Because that man is suffering taxation without representation, and historically, that's been a bit of a sticking point for America.

I'm pretty sure I learned about that in school.

Something about the American savages threw tea into the water without even having the common decency to add a splash of milk.

So, so tonight, so tonight, let's look at felony disenfranchisement, and 1 state in particular, because these 6000000 disenfranchised voters are not evenly distributed around the country.

In most states, people with felony convictions automatically regain their voting rights at some point, but there are a few where they do not.

And the worst state of all concerning this, and arguably everything else, is Florida.

Around 1 and a half million of its citizens, nearly 10 percent of its adult population, have completed sentences for felony convictions, but still can't vote.

And given the iniquities of our justice system, that burden is disproportionately felt by African-Americans, because in Florida, over 1 in 5 black adults cannot vote.

It may be the dumbest thing about Florida, which is frankly impressive, considering stories like these.

Only in Florida would an underwear-clad man go for a walk in the rain with his pet goat.

Also, if you can tell there, he's, he's playing a harmonica.

Check out this video showing a genius staring his motorcycle with his feet in Jacksonville.

Only in Florida does a creature this adorable become a bloodthirsty fur demon.

a sudden, he jumped on the kayak, and 2 seconds later, he jumped on me.

The viral video shows Robbie Stratton running through a convenience store with an alligator in his hands.

No recollection of that happening at all.

Okay, Everything about that guy is absolutely fascinating, but I think I'm most interested in the fact that he was drunk at the store where he bought the liquor.

So, did he buy the liquor, leave, drink it, fetch an alligator, and then return to the same store?

Did he drink the liquor at the store, at which point an alligator walked in?

Or did he get drunk and then meet a sober alligator who was having a bad day, wanted to have a couple of drinks, and the guy said, I know just the place, alligator.

The fact is, Florida is the disenfranchisement capital of America.

Well, for starters, a post-Civil War change to their constitution stripped all convicted felons of their voting rights for life.

And while Florida's governor can restore those rights, the current 1, Rick Scott, seen here auditioning for the role of Happy Pencil in All My Nightmares.

He has made this process much more difficult.

Because while the governor before him made regaining voting rights close to automatic for many nonviolent offenses, Scott implemented a system where You have to wait 5 to 7 years just to apply to get your vote back, then submit an application, then wait more, then, in many cases, have to travel to Tallahassee, which no 1 should ever have to do under any circumstances to argue your case in person.

These obstacles are ridiculous and unnecessary, and this is how Scott justified them.

Look, if you are a convicted felon, part of what you did is you lost your rights.

You know, there ought to be a process if you're gonna get those rights back, and I think it's fair to the rest of the citizens of the state.

They'll see a process that they know will work.

Right, except there is a process for paying your debt to society and getting your rights back.

It's called serving your fucking sentence.

It's like someone finishing a triathlon, only for Scott to then say, no, it's a quadathon, now you have to learn Mandarin.

And it's honestly worth taking a look at this process, because it's absolutely insane.

Applications are judged by a clemency board made up of Rick Scott and members of his cabinet, seen here looking like the only local news team that you somehow know aren't fucking each other.

And if you do end up in front of me, you're given 10 minutes to prove that you have turned your life around.

They then question you before making a decision that seems completely arbitrary, and it seems that way because it is.

Scott begins meetings by making that painfully clear.

The law had already been followed by the judges.

So we get to make our decisions based on our own beliefs.

Each of us have the right opportunity to make a decision based on what we believe.

If you walk up and say, I deserve something, that's not how this works.

It's just weird to hear it said out loud.

In the same way that it'd be weird to hear the CEO of Kraft say, we don't actually know what Velveeta is.

It fell from space in the 1950s and it's been spawning in a lab ever since.

Before we package it, we take out the teeth and eyes, but we're starting to think it might make it angry.

And look, because there are no formal standards, the committee can decide what's important and can focus on things as petty as moving violations.

What we're trying to figure out is, is that, have people changed their lives, right?

That's so, So, getting traffic tickets all the time?

If you sit up here, your first reaction is, well, do they really respect the law?

I mean, that might be your first reaction.

To be honest, my first reaction is, why are Rick Scott's glasses not near the eyes part of his head?

-...and how have they not fallen off his nose by now?

And look, it is not just your driving record under scrutiny.

Your personal life is very much on the table.

And 1 board member, Florida CFO Jimmy Petronius, seems to have a specific idea of where that personal life should be conducted, because there is 1 question that he asks a lot.

Now, if the answer to that question is important, that is fucked up.

And if it's not, why are you constantly asking it?

Either you are factoring religious habits into your evaluation of whether someone should be able to vote, or you're making a list of people's houses that would be easy to rob on a Sunday morning.

And neither is a good use of the panel's time.

And once you've jumped through all of these hoops, your fate is in the hands of a panel who do not have to explain their reasoning to you.

He had served time for robbery and drug convictions, but had been clean for 8 years and was running a drug rehab program when he made his case to the board in 2011.

Rick Scott actually commended him for the progress that he'd made and then said this.

So at this point, I'm gonna deny restoration of civil rights.

If I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do, and I'm trying and I'm making sure that I do the right thing I'm supposed to do, then how long am I supposed to wait?

I couldn't tell you that answer, but if, at today, I'm not, I don't feel comfortable doing it.

He refused to restore someone's civil rights without demonstrating much more of a reason than, I don't know, I guess I'm just not feeling it right now.

And the thing is, even if this process was perfect, which it is not, it can't handle the volume.

The panel only meets 4 times a year, and there are too many cases for them to review.

Also, while Scott's predecessor restored the voting rights of over 155,000 people in his four-year term, Scott is only averaging around 400 a year.

And that is meaningful, especially in a state where elections tend to have very narrow margins.

And President Bush famously won it by just 537.

There's actually some genuinely good news here.

There is a constitutional amendment on their ballot this November that would bring Florida in line with many other states.

If it passes, people with felony convictions, except in the cases of murder or sex crimes, would get the right to vote after completing their sentence.

That could give as many as 1.4 million people the right to vote.

But it is by no means a foregone conclusion.

The amendment needs a 60% majority to pass.

So, if it's okay with everybody, I would like to speak directly to the people of Florida for a second.

Let's try and get comfortable with each other, shall we?

Fun of you a lot, Florida, because of all the stupid things that happen where you live.

And you're probably expecting me to steer away from all that and appeal to your innate goodness and sense of reason, but I'm not gonna do that.

Instead, I'd like to double down and suggest that it's precisely because of all that glorious stupidity that you should innately appreciate the value of second chances.

A state that's seen the headlines, Florida restaurant no longer allows monkey Mondays after animal bit eight-year-old boy.

And Florida bestiality law does not ban oral sex with animals.

And Florida gas station robbed suspect appeared to have drawn on beard.

Which I would say is probably true given that this was the beard.

And yes, yes Floridians, you do make mistakes, but it's also in your nature to help 1 another recover, as you can tell from the headline, Good Samaritan Helps Florida Man Who Accidentally Shot Himself in the Penis.

Even this song, your state song, speaks to your ability to screw up and bounce back.

The original lyrics to this had to be changed because they were too racist.

And somehow, it still sounds racist today, even in instrumental form.

The point here is, This November, Florida, you have got a real chance to remedy a mistake and do something genuinely good for over a million of your citizens.

So please, on November 6th, for 1 day, just 1 day, don't take your goat for a walk in your underwear.

Stay away from any bitey otters, draw a fake beard on yourself, and go cast a vote on behalf of all your fellow Floridians who are unable to.


Speaker 0: -♪ ♪ -♪ ♪ Voting. For adults, 1 of the few remaining activities for which you still get a sticker. The midterm elections are just 2 months away, when every citizen of voting age will have their chance to be heard, even this guy.

Speaker 1: Thing is the category, and... Vanna, when you're ready.

Speaker 0: ♪ ♪

Speaker 2: Edgar. Fish love?

Speaker 0: Fish love? Sorry, Edgar, but the category was thing, so the answer we were looking for was fish lube. It's the thing you use when you want to fuck a fish. Fish lube. Better luck next time, Edgar.

But the fact is, while that fish fucker may be able to cast a vote, a surprisingly large amount of people are barred from doing so. It's estimated that more than 6000000 Americans are barred from voting because of felony disenfranchisement laws. It's true. 6000000 people are unable to vote because at some point in their life, they committed a felony. That is a lot.

For perspective, that's like if you took all the people who bought a copy of Robin Thicke's divorce opera, Paula, and then added almost 6000000 more people. And look, if any of you are thinking at this point, well, who really gives a shit if convicted felons can't vote? You frankly wouldn't be alone.

Speaker 3: If they've committed crimes, are they the best people to judge some of these laws that are to be passed?

Speaker 4: Would we rather live in a society where there are no consequences for our actions?

Speaker 5: I just think that they've done something wrong, so I don't really think they should be allowed to be voting in our president and stuff like that.

Speaker 0: Oh, you don't, do you? You think if someone makes a mistake, it should follow them for the rest of their life, whether they were convicted of marijuana possession or went to brunch dressed like a TJ Maxx Janis Joplin. I get it, I get it. But look, the fact here is, Many lawmakers actually agree with her. Here is Mitch McConnell arguing that keeping felons from voting is a public safety issue.

Speaker 6: We're talking about rapists, murderers, robbers, and even terrorists or spies. Do we want to see convicted terrorists who seek to destroy this country voting in elections?

Speaker 0: Okay, first, terrorists are not voting, are they? They're all about making giant, violent points that get everyone's attention, not lining up in a public school gymnasium to write in ISIS for the school board. And second, The most recent analysis found only 18 percent of felony convictions were for violent crimes of any sort, meaning the vast majority were for non-violent offenses like property or drug crimes. And for those who have served their sentence but are still unable to vote, this situation is understandably frustrating.

Speaker 4: At what point do we break the cycle? At what point are we able to say, hey, you know what? I am citizen enough. You want me to work, you want me to pay taxes, you want me to make sure I take care of my family, but yet, I can't vote. So Am I a citizen or am I not a citizen?

Speaker 0: Yeah, he's got a point. Because that man is suffering taxation without representation, and historically, that's been a bit of a sticking point for America. I'm pretty sure I learned about that in school. Something about the American savages threw tea into the water without even having the common decency to add a splash of milk. So, so tonight, so tonight, let's look at felony disenfranchisement, and 1 state in particular, because these 6000000 disenfranchised voters are not evenly distributed around the country.

In most states, people with felony convictions automatically regain their voting rights at some point, but there are a few where they do not. And the worst state of all concerning this, and arguably everything else, is Florida. Around 1 and a half million of its citizens, nearly 10 percent of its adult population, have completed sentences for felony convictions, but still can't vote. And given the iniquities of our justice system, that burden is disproportionately felt by African-Americans, because in Florida, over 1 in 5 black adults cannot vote. That is staggering.

It may be the dumbest thing about Florida, which is frankly impressive, considering stories like these.

Speaker 1: Only in Florida would an underwear-clad man go for a walk in the rain with his pet goat. Also, if you can tell there, he's, he's playing a harmonica. Check out this video showing a genius staring his motorcycle with his feet in Jacksonville. Only in Florida does a creature this adorable become a bloodthirsty fur demon.

Speaker 2: All of

Speaker 0: a sudden, he jumped on the kayak, and 2 seconds later, he jumped on me.

Speaker 3: The viral video shows Robbie Stratton running through a convenience store with an alligator in his hands. No recollection of that happening at all.

Speaker 1: At all. This store sells some good liquor. I drank a lot of it that night.

Speaker 0: Okay, Everything about that guy is absolutely fascinating, but I think I'm most interested in the fact that he was drunk at the store where he bought the liquor. So, did he buy the liquor, leave, drink it, fetch an alligator, and then return to the same store? Did he drink the liquor at the store, at which point an alligator walked in? Or did he get drunk and then meet a sober alligator who was having a bad day, wanted to have a couple of drinks, and the guy said, I know just the place, alligator. I don't know.

The point is, it's Florida. All options are equally plausible. Here's the thing. The fact is, Florida is the disenfranchisement capital of America. So how did that happen?

Well, for starters, a post-Civil War change to their constitution stripped all convicted felons of their voting rights for life. And while Florida's governor can restore those rights, the current 1, Rick Scott, seen here auditioning for the role of Happy Pencil in All My Nightmares. He has made this process much more difficult. Because while the governor before him made regaining voting rights close to automatic for many nonviolent offenses, Scott implemented a system where You have to wait 5 to 7 years just to apply to get your vote back, then submit an application, then wait more, then, in many cases, have to travel to Tallahassee, which no 1 should ever have to do under any circumstances to argue your case in person. These obstacles are ridiculous and unnecessary, and this is how Scott justified them.

Speaker 7: Look, if you are a convicted felon, part of what you did is you lost your rights. And so, you ought to... You know, there ought to be a process if you're gonna get those rights back, and I think it's fair to the rest of the citizens of the state. And, it's... They'll see a process that they know will work.

Speaker 0: Right, except there is a process for paying your debt to society and getting your rights back. It's called serving your fucking sentence. You're just tagging shit on at the end. It's like someone finishing a triathlon, only for Scott to then say, no, it's a quadathon, now you have to learn Mandarin. It doesn't really seem fair.

And it's honestly worth taking a look at this process, because it's absolutely insane. Applications are judged by a clemency board made up of Rick Scott and members of his cabinet, seen here looking like the only local news team that you somehow know aren't fucking each other. And if you do end up in front of me, you're given 10 minutes to prove that you have turned your life around. They then question you before making a decision that seems completely arbitrary, and it seems that way because it is. Scott begins meetings by making that painfully clear.

Speaker 7: This is a board of clemency. Okay? We... There's no law we're following. The law had already been followed by the judges.

So we get to make our decisions based on our own beliefs. There's no standards. Each of us have the right opportunity to make a decision based on what we believe. This is a court of mercy. It's not a court...

There's no... If you walk up and say, I deserve something, that's not how this works. We, There's no... There's absolutely no standards. So we can make any decisions we want.

Speaker 0: You know, I'm sure that's true. It's just weird to hear it said out loud. In the same way that it'd be weird to hear the CEO of Kraft say, we don't actually know what Velveeta is. It fell from space in the 1950s and it's been spawning in a lab ever since. Before we package it, we take out the teeth and eyes, but we're starting to think it might make it angry.

And look, because there are no formal standards, the committee can decide what's important and can focus on things as petty as moving violations.

Speaker 7: What we're trying to figure out is, is that, have people changed their lives, right? Right. That's so, So, getting traffic tickets all the time? To... If you sit up here, your first reaction is, well, do they really respect the law?

Right?

Speaker 0: Right. I mean, that might be your first reaction. To be honest, my first reaction is, why are Rick Scott's glasses not near the eyes part of his head? -...and how have they not fallen off his nose by now? -...

And look, it is not just your driving record under scrutiny. Your personal life is very much on the table. And 1 board member, Florida CFO Jimmy Petronius, seems to have a specific idea of where that personal life should be conducted, because there is 1 question that he asks a lot.

Speaker 6: Y'all go to church. Y'all go to church. Y'all go to church together. Ma'am, where do y'all go to church?

Speaker 0: You go

Speaker 6: to church. And go to church.

Speaker 0: Do you go to church? Now, if the answer to that question is important, that is fucked up. And if it's not, why are you constantly asking it? Either you are factoring religious habits into your evaluation of whether someone should be able to vote, or you're making a list of people's houses that would be easy to rob on a Sunday morning. And neither is a good use of the panel's time.

And once you've jumped through all of these hoops, your fate is in the hands of a panel who do not have to explain their reasoning to you. Just watch Leon Gillis. He had served time for robbery and drug convictions, but had been clean for 8 years and was running a drug rehab program when he made his case to the board in 2011. Rick Scott actually commended him for the progress that he'd made and then said this.

Speaker 7: So at this point, I'm gonna deny restoration of civil rights. Can I ask you a question? Yes, sir.

Speaker 2: How long is that?

Speaker 7: I'm not sure. I think every case is different. Well, what should I do with my

Speaker 0: life then?

Speaker 2: If I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do, and I'm trying and I'm making sure that I do the right thing I'm supposed to do, then how long am I supposed to wait?

Speaker 7: I couldn't tell you that answer, but if, at today, I'm not, I don't feel comfortable doing it.

Speaker 2: Okay. Thank you, sir.

Speaker 0: And that was it. He refused to restore someone's civil rights without demonstrating much more of a reason than, I don't know, I guess I'm just not feeling it right now. And the thing is, even if this process was perfect, which it is not, it can't handle the volume. The panel only meets 4 times a year, and there are too many cases for them to review. Also, while Scott's predecessor restored the voting rights of over 155,000 people in his four-year term, Scott is only averaging around 400 a year.

And that is meaningful, especially in a state where elections tend to have very narrow margins. Trump only won Florida by 100,000 votes. And President Bush famously won it by just 537. But there are actually... There's actually some genuinely good news here.

Florida has a chance to fix this. A real chance. There is a constitutional amendment on their ballot this November that would bring Florida in line with many other states. If it passes, people with felony convictions, except in the cases of murder or sex crimes, would get the right to vote after completing their sentence. That could give as many as 1.4 million people the right to vote.

But it is by no means a foregone conclusion. The amendment needs a 60% majority to pass. So, if it's okay with everybody, I would like to speak directly to the people of Florida for a second. Hi there, Florida. Let's...

Let's try and get comfortable with each other, shall we? I know... I know... I know that we make... I know that we make fun...

Fun of you a lot, Florida, because of all the stupid things that happen where you live. And you're probably expecting me to steer away from all that and appeal to your innate goodness and sense of reason, but I'm not gonna do that. Instead, I'd like to double down and suggest that it's precisely because of all that glorious stupidity that you should innately appreciate the value of second chances. I mean, come on, Florida. You're Florida!

A state that's seen the headlines, Florida restaurant no longer allows monkey Mondays after animal bit eight-year-old boy. And Florida bestiality law does not ban oral sex with animals. And Florida gas station robbed suspect appeared to have drawn on beard. Which I would say is probably true given that this was the beard. And yes, yes Floridians, you do make mistakes, but it's also in your nature to help 1 another recover, as you can tell from the headline, Good Samaritan Helps Florida Man Who Accidentally Shot Himself in the Penis.

You come through for each other. Even this song, your state song, speaks to your ability to screw up and bounce back. The original lyrics to this had to be changed because they were too racist. And somehow, it still sounds racist today, even in instrumental form. The point here is, This November, Florida, you have got a real chance to remedy a mistake and do something genuinely good for over a million of your citizens.

So please, on November 6th, for 1 day, just 1 day, don't take your goat for a walk in your underwear. Stay away from any bitey otters, draw a fake beard on yourself, and go cast a vote on behalf of all your fellow Floridians who are unable to. Please do it. Cheers, Florida. Cheers.

-♪ Oh, yeah! -♪ You You

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Felony Disenfranchisement: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)