Florida felon voting activist Desmond Meade gets his civil rights back

The Florida activist who led a movement to allow most former felons to vote now has had more civil rights restored under a new state process.

Desmond Meade is the head of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition who had spent time in prison on convictions including drug possession and illegally possessing a firearm.

He announced in a Twitter video Saturday that he can now run for office, serve on a jury and even take the bar exam to become a lawyer.

Meade led the successful 2018 effort to enact Amendment 4, a voter-approved constitutional amendment restoring felon voting rights after their sentences are complete.

The Republican-led Legislature later required all financial obligations such as fines to also be completed.

Critics said this primarily disenfranchises minorities and poor people.