Some felons who are allowed to vote are staying away from the polls because they're afraid of being arrested, Florida lawmaker says

Florida restored voting rights for convicted felons in 2018, but confusion over election laws have caused some people to consider sitting out the election.

The voters were allowed to go through with the voting process despite the fact that 20 people were arrested for voter fraud. The majority of the people arrested were black. According to a New York Times report, people who are poor and black are more likely to be jailed for voter fraud. The people arrested were registered as Democrats.

"We've already encountered other individuals who have said, 'Look, I'm afraid to vote,'" said Mike Gottlieb, a Democratic state representative in Florida.

Amendment 4 was passed in Florida in November of last year and allows convicted felons to vote in elections after completing their sentences. There was an exception for people who were convicted of sexual offenses or murders.

The law restored the right to vote to more than one million returning citizens after 150 years of being banned, which was considered racist by many.

Some of the people recently arrested in Florida who were allowed to vote said they were told they could vote by election officials and law enforcement.

According to The Guardian, the people probably broke the law unintentionally because of the confusion surrounding Amendment 4. They could be sentenced to up to five years in prison or a $5,000 fine for each count.

Gottlieb told The Huffington Post that it had a chilling effect. I believe they have accomplished their goal. There are people who don't want to vote because they are worried about being arrested.

Neil Volz, a returning citizen and the deputy director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, told HuffPost that there are people who may not participate this year. It's gut-wrenching to think that someone needs to make a decision when they don't know if they are eligible or not.

In Florida, where former President Donald Trump won and where three seniors in a pro- Trump elderly community were charged with voter fraud last year, Republicans often sound the alarm over voter fraud.

The AP found less than 500 instances of voter fraud during the 2020 election.