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What's your stance on voting rights for felons?

This week we learned former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg helped raise more than $16 million to help convicted felons in Florida to vote.

In Florida, felons can only vote if they pay government fees and court debts that can sometimes total more than $1,000, according to a law passed in 2018. Bloomberg’s money will allow 32,000 felons regain their ability to vote.

This raises some questions, though:

• Is it ethical (or legal) for a former presidential candidate to spend $16 million for this purpose? Not long ago, Bloomberg was in the race for president. Will these voters be swayed to vote Democrat?

• Is it fair to keep convicted felons from voting in an election if they can’t pay a certain amount of money? After all, returning felons might have difficulty paying these fees.

• Here in Connecticut, felons who owe no fines and complete their prison sentences or are released on probation are allowed to vote. But convicted felons out on parole — roughly 2,000 to 3,000 people — can’t vote. Is this fair?

What do you think? Talk about it with your friends and family!

Photo via Flickr