Donald Trump Is a Convicted Felon – Here's How He's Still Able to Vote

In many states across the U.S., people with felony convictions cannot vote in elections, even after serving their time.

Today, former President Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, will still be eligible to vote for himself in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump was convicted earlier this year on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made before the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The conviction, handed down by a Manhattan court, is the first time a former U.S. president has been found guilty of a felony.

With sentencing scheduled for November 26, here's how Trump can still exercise his right to vote.

Under Florida law, if a voter has a felony conviction from another state, Florida defers to that state’s regulations for restoring voting rights. Trump's conviction took place in New York, which, in 2021, enacted a law allowing individuals with felony convictions to vote as long as they are not serving a term of incarceration at the time of the election. This law allows Trump to cast his ballot without facing legal challenges in Florida.

Florida is known for its stringent rules when it comes to voting rights for people with felony convictions. A 2018 ballot initiative aimed at restoring voting rights for these individuals initially passed with widespread support but Republican lawmakers in the state enacted legislation requiring all fines and fees associated with a felony conviction to be fully paid before voting rights could be restored. This made it difficult for former felons to track whether they had fulfilled their financial obligations.

Trump's ability to vote is another example of the disparate treatment faced by those with felony convictions based on their resources and influence. For many Floridians, the hurdles are formidable. The requirement to pay off all fines and fees before regaining the right to vote disproportionately impacts people from marginalized communities, who may struggle with the financial burden of these payments.

Unlike Trump, most do not have the legal team or financial resources to navigate the intricacies of voting laws across state lines.

Trump’s high-profile status and his out-of-state conviction allow him to circumvent the roadblocks that would impede an average person with a felony record in Florida.

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