Florida Voting Rights Group Raising Money To Pay Felons' Fees

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ORLANDO (CBSMiami/AP) — A fundraising effort is underway to help former felons regain their voting rights.

Advocates who successfully pushed through a ballot measure restoring voting rights to felons in Florida are now starting a fund to help pay outstanding fees and fines that could prevent the former convicts from voting under a new law.

Leaders of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition said Tuesday they hope to raise $3 million through fundraising.

An estimated 1.4 million felons have the chance to register to vote. Of that number about half a million have unpaid fees or fines that could prevent them from registering under legislation Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last week.

Desmond Meade, the group's executive director, says he realizes more money will be needed to pay the fines and fees, but he wants to see how the process works before trying to scale up.