Fri 2/4 @ noon-1:30PM
With Florida one of just a few states that blocks former felons from voting forever, voters in the state went to the ballot in 2018 and overwhelmingly voted to restore their rights. But as with redistricting in Ohio, the GOP-dominated state legislature did its best to undercut the measure and defy the voters, adding stipulations that made it virtually impossible for most former felons to regain their right to vote. This despite research showing that voting helps them reconnect to their communities & be potentially less like to return to prison.
At the center of this ballot issue and the fight for voting rights is the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, led by the formerly incarcerated Desmond Meade, a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship recipient. And with a rash of new voter suppression measures sweeping the country that pose a threat to democracy, his work couldn’t be more timely.
Meade will speak at the City Club of Cleveland to talk about these attacks on the right to vote taking place across the country — and in Ohio. The forum will be livestreamed as well. If you have questions, you can tweet them to @TheCityClub or text 330-541-5794.