Cecilia Washington isn't sure exactly how many thousands of dollars in outstanding court fees she still owes in Bradenton, Florida, a vestige of her most recent felony conviction.
But she knows the high price of that unpaid bill: Unless she can find a way to erase the debt soon, she will be barred from casting a ballot in November's general election. A federal appellate court ruled last week that prohibiting ex-felons with unpaid court fees and fines from voting does not constitute an unconstitutional poll tax.
"If I don't get an opportunity to vote, I'm going to be heartbroken," said Washington, a 40-year-old Orlando resident who has been active in efforts to restore voting rights to the formerly incarcerated. "People make mistakes. This is real life, and God forgives everybody."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/16/politics/poll-taxes-voting-2020-election/index.html