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Comedian Samantha Bee Throws Weight Behind Florida Felons' Voting Rights

An attempt to restore felons’ voting rights in Florida is getting a national boost this week. Comedian Samantha Bee of the TBS show Full Frontal sat down with Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. Meade is behind a proposed ballot initiative that would automatically restore civil rights to felons. Here’s a portion of Bee’s segment.

“In Florida, felonies can be things like buying weed, tampering with an odometer or disturbing a lobster trap. So basically Spring Break," Bee joked. "And once you lose your rights, it’s nearly impossible to get them back.”

Bee set up a new website for audience members to download and sign the petition if they're Florida voters. For those who can't vote in the state, Bee joked folks can mail it to a grandparent who is.

The measure needs more than 683,000 signatures to get on the 2018 ballot. According to the Florida Department of State, the group is currently at just over 71,000 signatures.

As a Tallahassee native, Kate Payne grew up listening to WFSU. She loves being part of a station that had such an impact on her. Kate is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. With a background in documentary and narrative filmmaking, Kate has a broad range of multimedia experience. When she’s not working, you can find her rock climbing, cooking or hanging out with her cat.