In Florida, one-in-four African-Americans will be affected by laws barring ex-felons from the polls this November. As Brentin Mock reported for Voting Rights Watch 2012—a collaboration between The Nation and Color Lines—many ex-felons in the Sunshine State are receiving conflicting messages regarding their legal status as voters. Mock appeared on the Melissa Harris-Perry show to raise the issue of felon disenfranchisement in Florida. The Nation’s Ari Melber also weighed in conversation, saying that, while some restrictions for ex-felons are in the interest of public safety, voting rights is not one of them.

—Steven Hsieh

For more on voter suppression in Florida, read Ari Berman’s short history on the subject.