▁Governor ▁Charlie ▁Crist ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁pass ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁allowed ▁people ▁previously ▁conv icted ▁of ▁fel ony ▁cr imes ▁to ▁reg ain ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote ▁if ▁approved ▁by ▁the ▁Par ole ▁Commission . ▁Crist ▁intended ▁this ▁reform ▁to ▁include ▁automatic ▁re inst at ement ▁for ▁all ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁previously ▁conv icted ▁of ▁fel ony ▁cr imes ▁that ▁were ▁not ▁conv icted ▁of ▁murder ▁or ▁violent ▁sex ▁cr imes ; ▁however , ▁other ▁public ▁officials ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁felt ▁the ▁reform ▁was ▁too ▁len ient ▁on ▁crim inals . ▁This ▁reform ▁ultimately ▁allowed ▁over ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁previously ▁conv icted ▁of ▁fel ony ▁cr imes ▁to ▁reg ain ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote ▁but ▁was ▁revers ed ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁under ▁Governor ▁Rick ▁Scott . ▁Scott ▁also ▁added ▁the ▁additional ▁bar rier ▁of ▁a ▁five - year ▁waiting ▁period ▁between ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁a ▁sentence ▁and ▁application ▁for ▁voting ▁re inst at ement . ▁This ▁current ▁iteration ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁has ▁remained ▁un changed ▁through ▁today . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁federal ▁judge ▁Mark ▁Walker ▁ruled ▁that ▁Florida ’ s ▁process ▁of ▁choosing ▁which ▁people ▁previously ▁conv icted ▁of ▁fel ony ▁cr imes ▁should ▁have ▁their ▁voting ▁rights ▁restored ▁was ▁un const itution al . ▁Walker ▁argued ▁that ▁Florida ’ s ▁system ▁for ▁re - enf ranch is ement ▁is ▁too ▁broad ▁for ▁interpretation . ▁As ▁such , ▁Walker ▁claimed