L.A. Lakers star LeBron James has joined forces with a group working to help restore voting rights to tens of thousands of convicted felons in Florida.
Through his More Than A Vote organization, James committed $100,000 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to help that group advocate for the restoration of the vote, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“This is a fight about their constitutional right to vote being denied,” James tweeted on Friday.
In 2018, Florida voters approved a measure to allow felons to vote after they satisfy a number of provisions after being released from prison. The measure requires felons to pay fees, fines, restitution, and court costs related to their crime before having their voting rights restored.
Advocates for criminals, though, adamantly oppose the requirements, and have filed numerous lawsuits to have the rules eliminated.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court is set to hear a suit against the provisions next month. Advocates for the felons claim that requirements are the modern equivalent of a “poll tax.”
The money the former Miami Heat player is donating is reportedly earmarked to help individual felons pay their obligations so that they can get their voting rights back.
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