9 7 4 , ▁the ▁Florida ▁Legisl ature ▁passed ▁a ▁bill ▁that ▁would ▁allow ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁conv icted ▁of ▁a ▁fel ony ▁to ▁reg ain ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote ▁upon ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁their ▁sentences . ▁However , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁Florida ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁bill ▁was ▁un const itution al ▁because ▁it ▁by pass ed ▁the ▁governor ’ s ▁cle men cy ▁power . ▁Though ▁many ▁spoke ▁out ▁throughout ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁this ▁remained ▁the ▁only ▁real ▁attempt ▁at ▁reform ▁until ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century . ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁B ren nan ▁Center ▁for ▁Justice ▁represented ▁eight ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁previously ▁conv icted ▁of ▁fel ony ▁cr imes ▁that ▁file d ▁a ▁civil ▁compla int ▁against ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Florida ▁claim ing ▁its ▁implementation ▁of ▁fel ony ▁dis enf ranch is ement ▁viol ated ▁the ▁federal ▁V oting ▁Rights ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁First , ▁Four teenth , ▁Fif teenth , ▁and ▁Tw enty - four th ▁am end ments ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Constitution . ▁The ▁case , ▁Johnson ▁v . ▁Bush , ▁last ed ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁for ▁the ▁Ele vent h ▁Circ uit ▁ruled ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁would ▁stand . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 ,