Florida Senate - 2015 SJR 208 By Senator Clemens 27-00306-15 2015208__ 1 Senate Joint Resolution 2 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 4 3 of Article VI of the State Constitution to 4 automatically restore the voting rights and right to 5 hold public office of certain convicted felons. 6 7 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8 9 That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article VI of 10 the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to 11 the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next 12 general election or at an earlier special election specifically 13 authorized by law for that purpose: 14 15 ARTICLE VI 16 SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS 17 18 SECTION 4. Disqualifications.— 19 (a) No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in this 20 or any other state to be mentally incompetent, shall be 21 qualified to vote or hold office, except: 22 (1) If convicted of a felony involving a sexual offense or 23 a felony involving a homicide, upon restoration of the person’s 24 civil rights; 25 (2) If convicted of any felony not specified in paragraph 26 (1), upon the person’s completion of sentence; or 27 (3) If adjudicated mentally incompetent, uponuntil28restoration of civil rights orremoval of disability. 29 (b) No person may appear on the ballot for re-election to 30 any of the following offices: 31 (1) Florida representative, 32 (2) Florida senator, 33 (3) Florida lieutenant governor, 34 (4) any office of the Florida cabinet, 35 (5) U.S. Representative from Florida, or 36 (6) U.S. Senator from Florida 37 38 if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will 39 have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in that 40 office for eight consecutive years. 41 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 42 placed on the ballot: 43 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 44 ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4 45 AUTOMATIC RESTORATION OF CERTAIN FELONS’ CIVIL RIGHTS. 46 Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to 47 automatically restore the right to vote and hold office of a 48 person convicted of a felony, other than one involving a sexual 49 offense or a homicide, upon completion of sentence.