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Restore voting rights for 1.7M Floridians

In 2018, over 5 million Floridians voted in favor of Amendment 4, which was supposed to give most people with felony convictions the right to vote after they "complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation."  But in 2019, the state enacted Fla. Stat. § 98.0751, which blocked individuals from voting unless they paid back all outstanding court costs, fees, fines, and restitution associated with sentencing.

We believe it is constitutionally impermissible and morally wrong for the State of Florida to condition someone's right to vote based on their ability to pay. But we are even more troubled that the state appears unable to determine how much, exactly, these individuals must repay in order to regain their right to vote. 85,000 Floridians could vote in this November's election but – because the state has no centralized database – cannot confirm how much they owe.

Free Our Vote has the data and experience needed to solve this problem. As academic researchers, we have worked extensively with Florida correctional, court, and voter registration data. To date, we have collected accurate fines/fees information on 430,040 Floridians, across 21 counties that comprise nearly 80% of the state’s population.

To determine whether you owe any fines or fees, navigate to the Check Fines/Fees tab and enter your first name, last name, date of birth, and county of conviction. Free Our Vote will query the public information to determine if the state believes you must pay back any fines or fees to regain your voting rights. Our data are limited to cases decided since 2000, and cover counties that post fines and fees data. We strive to provide the best possible estimates to help people with past felony convictions recover voting privileges and restore their financial freedom.