TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on restoring voting rights to felons after they leave prison in Florida (all times local):
8 p.m.
A federal appeals court says Florida does not have to immediately overhaul its process for restoring voting rights to former prisoners.
A three judge panel of the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed late Wednesday to put an ongoing legal battle over voting rights on hold for now.
A federal judge in March had given Florida officials until Thursday to create a new process for restoring voting rights to former prisoners. He said the current system is unconstitutional and arbitrary.
Florida asked the appeals court to block the decision while an appeal was under consideration.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott had scheduled an emergency late-night meeting of the state’s clemency board to enact new rules in case the appeals court turned down the state. The meeting was cancelled minutes after the appeals court ruled.
7 p.m.
Just months before a critical election, Florida may put new restrictions in place for people seeking voting rights.
A federal judge in March gave Florida until Thursday to create a new process for restoring voting rights to former prisoners. He said the current system is unconstitutional and arbitrary.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has scheduled an emergency meeting of the state’s clemency board for 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
State officials released new rules hours before the meeting. The rules would keep intact a requirement that former prisoners wait at least five years before they can have their rights restored.
But the new rules also say that former prisoners who have had domestic violence and stalking injunctions must wait 10 years. Another change would require the state to review all voting rights applications within four years.
3:50 p.m.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has filed an emergency motion asking a federal appeals court to give the state more time to respond to a ruling on voting rights.
A federal judge back in March gave Florida until Thursday to create a new process for restoring voting rights to former prisoners. He said the current system is unconstitutional and arbitrary.
The state has already asked an Atlanta appeals court to put the ruling on hold, but the higher court hasn’t acted yet. Because of the looming deadline, Gov. Rick Scott scheduled a clemency board meeting for 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Bondi’s latest motion asks for the appeal court to set aside the Thursday requirement. The motion says if that’s not acceptable, Florida wants at least 10 days to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
9 a.m.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has called an extraordinary late-night meeting of top state officials to respond to a federal court ruling on voting rights.
A federal judge gave Florida until Thursday to create a new process for restoring voting rights to former prisoners. The state asked an appeals court to put U.S. District Judge Mark Walker’s ruling on hold, but the higher court hasn’t acted on that request, so Scott scheduled a clemency board meeting for 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The board consists of Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and two other elected Republicans.
The federal judge ruled that Florida’s current system of restoring voting rights to former prisoners is unconstitutional and arbitrary. He questioned whether partisan politics and racial factors have swayed the board’s decisions.
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