Why Donald Trump can vote in US election despite being a convicted felon

Former US President Donald Trump

Donald Trump was entangled in a litany of legal troubles earlier this year and was convicted on as many as 34 counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan. But how is it that he can still cast his vote in the US presidential election on November 5?

Trump, who is the first former US president to be convicted of a felony, is scheduled for sentencing on November 26. Nevertheless, Florida’s laws will not impede him from casting a ballot for himself today, CNN reported.

Under Florida law, if a resident is convicted of a felony in another state, the state defers to the laws of that jurisdiction regarding voting rights restoration. Trump resides in Florida.

Meanwhile, Trump’s conviction falls under New York’s legal framework. According to a 2021 New York law, individuals with felony convictions are allowed to vote as long as they are not currently serving time in prison, CNN reported. And since Trump is not incarcerated, he will have his voting rights in the elections.

This legal flexibility stands in contrast to the rules that apply to many other residents of Florida with felony convictions.

In 2018, Florida voters passed a ballot initiative restoring voting rights for individuals who had completed the terms of their sentences.

However, state Republican lawmakers later imposed additional restrictions, requiring the payment of all outstanding fines, fees, and restitution before a person’s voting rights can be reinstated. The lack of a centralised system to track such payments has made the process difficult for many, the report said.