If the Supreme Court clears the proposal, supporters still have to submit about 766,000 petition signatures to get it on the 2018 ballot, an often expensive and labor-intensive effort.
Meade said his group had relied solely on volunteers to obtain more than 70,000 petitions that triggered the high court review.
“The level of energy around this, because of the organic and grassroots nature and how it’s based on fairness, that has energized people around the state,” Meade told reporters on the steps of the Supreme Court after Monday’s hearing.
Florida is one of a handful of states that require action by the governor or courts before felons who have completed their sentences can have rights restored, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
According to an analysis by the Legislature’s economists, the constitutional change — if approved — could open up voting rights for more than 700,000 Floridians, although fewer than 300,000 could be expected to apply, at least initially.
