TAMPA, Fla. — This past January was a monumental month for Desmond Meade.
- Desmond Meade helped pass Amendment 4
- He wants to help waive felon fees
- To donate, visit WEGOTTHEVOTE.COM
“Being able to walk in there and get my voter registration card was amazing, and I’m going to tell you why. Nothing speaks more to American citizenship than being able to vote,” said Meade.
He is now one of more than 800,000 convicted felons who has been given back his voting rights.
“To be able to apply for a voter registration card and to eventually get that says that I’m a complete citizen, that I’m able to have my voice heard,” said Meade, who is the president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
And he’s using that voice to advocate for the other 540,000 convicted felons who still don’t have one.
In November, he and the rest of the Florida Rights Restoration Commission were able to pass Amendment Four, restoring voting rights to many felons who served their sentences.
But a new law signed last week by Gov. Ron DeSantis requires all fines and fees related to the sentence be paid before that right is restored.
“Where other people see obstacles, we see opportunities,” said Meade.
That's why the FRRC is working to help the more than half a million people who are struggling to pay off their sentence.
They will help felons navigate the court system to have fees waived or converted to community service hours.
And, they’ve started a fundraising campaign to help those who need to pay, get it covered.
“Our initial goal is $3 million, we want to start with that and see how the system process. And then we are going to increase that as we go along,” said Meade.
Meade says Amendment 4 received votes based on love, forgiving, and redemption, and he hopes that prevails in the fundraising campaign, too.
To donate, visit WEGOTTHEVOTE.COM or text FEES to 82623.