Elections supervisors start accepting voter applications from felons Tuesday

A whole new demographic of Floridians will be able to apply for their voter registration starting Tuesday after Amendment 4 passed in the November election.

The amendment gives certain felons the right to vote once they've completed the terms of their sentence. For instance, you have to finish your parole and probation requirements before you can vote.

Anyone convicted of murder or a sexual offense is permanently prohibited from voting in Florida, according to the amendment.

While many will start coming out to regain the ability to vote right away, Duval County Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan says there won't be a drastic change in the way his office handles people interested in voting.

"We accept the data that the applicant places on that document at face value," Hogan says.

He says they'll continue to do what they've always done and pass the information on to the state level where they go through all the background information.

"Our role as the supervisor of election is to process applications submitted by eligible voters," Hogan says.

He says the state handles the analysis.

If there is an issue with someone who applies to vote, Hogan says the state will inform the supervisor who submitted the application so the person can be informed that they don't qualify to vote.

Hogan says if someone feels they were rejected incorrectly, they can give information showing they have completed the terms of their sentence and at that point it will be passed on to the state.

"For us as supervisors, we are just going to be doing our work on the 8th like we always do and accept applications and process them and forward that information on to the state," Hogan says.