Florida's ballot initiative to end felony disenfranchisement marks another milestone in a long tradition of expanding the suffrage

In November 2018, Florida’s Amendment 4 could restore the right to vote to people who faced disenfranchisement for the rest of their lives because of a felony criminal conviction. Controlling and limiting who can vote has a long American tradition. But the tradition of slowly but surely expanding the universe of who is eligible to vote is also a key part of the American experience.

While the franchise has increased and contracted in the United States since the founding, it’s somewhat rare for voters themselves to have the opportunity to enlarge the franchise. That makes Amendment 4 a special chance for Florida voters to give more fellow citizens the right to vote.

How much has the franchise multiplied over the history of America? As Harvard Professor Jill Laporereminds us, “[i]n the first Presidential election, only six per cent of Americans were eligible to vote.” The restrictions on who could votehave ranged from property ownership requirements, poll tax payments, race, religion, gender and age.