While the left and its media followers have spent the past 24 hours rejoicing that former President Donald Trump is a “CONVICTED FEDERAL CRIMINAL!!1!!1!” (which isn’t technically true until the judge actually hands down a guilty verdict, but that will undoubtedly happen soon), many have speculated about what that means in practice for the former president.
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Sentencing is now scheduled for July 11 (four days before the start of the Republican National Convention). But leaving aside the speculation about what Judge Juan Merchan will do at that point, the conviction could impact some of Trump’s rights, such as the right to carry a firearm (not really an issue for someone protected by the Secret Service) and the right to vote. My goodness… does this mean the former (and possibly future) president won’t even be able to vote for himself in November?!
No, says Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). Either way, Trump will be able to cast his vote.
Former President Donald Trump has not lost his right to vote in Florida, nor will he be disenfranchised in Florida if he has not already been disenfranchised in the jurisdiction where the ruling was made.
However, given the absurdity of Trump’s prosecution in New York, this would be an effortless case…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 1, 2024
Former President Donald Trump has not lost his right to vote in Florida, nor will he be disenfranchised in Florida if he has not already been disenfranchised in the jurisdiction where the ruling was made.
Still, given the absurdity of the prosecution of Trump in New York, this would be a case in which the Florida Clemency Board, of which I am chairman, could easily qualify for restoration of his rights.
The bottom line is that Donald Trump’s vote in November will be one of millions showing that Florida is now a solid Republican state!
In other words, Trump has not yet lost the right to vote in New York (and perhaps never will – in New York, even felons are allowed to vote). as long as they are not imprisoned), so he has not lost his right to vote in Florida. And even if he were disenfranchised in New York without being imprisoned, the Florida Clemency Board – which DeSantis chairs – would restore that right to him.
From a practical point of view, Trump is virtually assured of a victory in Florida in November, even if for some reason he is not allowed to vote for himself – he won the state by 1.2 points in 2016 and by almost three and a half points in 2020, and is currently up to 11 points in the 2024 election. Still, one suspects that the former president will be very proud to officially vote for himself again in November, and that he will be able to do so. His former bitter opponent in the primaries made that abundantly clear.
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