Felons cleared to vote have long been a reliable bloc of voters for Democrats.
In most states, felons lose their right to vote until they complete their sentences and post-sentence requirements to restore eligibility.
As the National Conference of State Legislatures reports, Maine, Vermont and the District of Columbia grant felons the right to vote even while in prison.
In 23 states, felons receive automatic restoration of eligibility following incarceration, while in 15 sates felons are barred from voting while in prison and for a time after release, generally while on probation or parole, according to NCSL. Another 10 states indefinitely prohibit criminals convicted of certain crimes from voting, or require a governor's pardon.
As left-wing ProPublica reported just before the 2020 election, NBA icon LeBron James and pop star Ariana Grande joined leftist billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, among other celebrities and donors, to kick in some $27 million to pay off "Lingering court fines and fees for Florida felons." The bailout, ProPublica and two of Florida's biggest newspapers reported, was aimed at making nearly 13,000 felons eligible to vote in the 2020 presidential election.
Biden's executive order and the GOTV efforts targeting felons and other predominantly left-leaning voting populations was a long time coming.
"We are very committed to making sure that we invest and work with our state parties on putting boots on the ground, on focusing on voter expansion and making sure that everyone who wants to vote and is eligible has an opportunity to register, has an opportunity to turnout and can have their vote accurately counted," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., NPR reported.
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