ial ▁election , ▁where in ▁ 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁voting - age ▁population ▁was ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁particip ating . ▁In ▁that ▁election , ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁won ▁Florida ▁by ▁ 5 3 7 ▁votes , ▁however ▁ 3 1 % ▁of ▁black ▁Flor id ians ▁were ▁denied ▁the ▁vote ▁due ▁to ▁dis enf ranch is ement . ▁Given ▁that ▁African ▁American ▁vot ers ▁are ▁typically ▁Democratic ▁vot ers , ▁it ▁was ▁argued ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁their ▁ex clusion ▁" de cis ively " ▁changed ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁the ▁election . ▁ ▁In ▁Reyn olds ▁v . ▁Sim s , ▁the ▁Court ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote ▁is ▁a ▁" fund amental ▁right ," ▁establish ing ▁a ▁strict ▁scr ut iny ▁test . ▁Further , ▁the ▁Four teenth ▁Am end ment ▁guarante es ▁" equal ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁laws " ▁to ▁all ▁persons . ▁However , ▁Section ▁ 2 ▁of ▁this ▁Am end ment ▁allows ▁states ▁to ▁remove ▁voting ▁privileges ▁from ▁anyone ▁who ▁has ▁participated ▁in ▁" re bell ion ▁or ▁other ▁crime ." ▁A ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁r uling ▁found ▁that ▁this ▁article ▁applied ▁to ▁dis enf ranch is ement ▁of ▁ex - fel ons . ▁The ▁C iv ic ▁Part icip ation ▁and ▁Re h abil itation ▁Act , ▁allowing ▁for ▁ex - fel ons ▁to ▁vote , ▁has ▁been ▁introduced ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁every ▁legisl ative ▁session ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁but ▁has ▁never ▁made ▁it ▁to ▁the