TALLAHASSEE — Former president and Palm Beach resident Donald Trump was convicted Thursday of 34 crimes by a New York jury.
So can he still vote for himself in November?
Most likely yes – at least for now.
Florida prohibits people convicted of crimes in the state from voting if they have not served all sentences.
However, different rules apply if a person is convicted of a crime in another state. In this case, they are only barred from voting in Florida if the state in which they were convicted also bars them from voting, according to the Florida Secretary of State.
A 2021 New York law allows people convicted of crimes to vote, as long as they are not incarcerated, according to Politifact. It doesn’t matter whether the person is on parole or under post-release supervision, according to the New York State Board of Elections.
Trump — who was convicted of falsifying business records related to secret payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels — has not yet been convicted, so he should still be eligible to vote in Florida.
It is uncertain whether Trump will face prison time, as the charge is a non-violent, low-level crime and he has no prior convictions, Politifact noted.
If he is incarcerated, the Florida Board of Pardons, made up of the Republican governor. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis could restore his voting rights.