Ready4Work Graduate Reclaims Right to Vote

Being an American citizen is very important to Franwartha Barnes and last Tuesday, she demonstrated that by reclaiming her right to vote. When Franwartha, a recent Ready4Work graduate, first learned about the initiative to restore the voting rights of former felons in Florida, she felt hopeful that Amendment 4 would pass.

“I understood why my voting rights had been taken away after breaking the law, but it was still very upsetting to me,” Franwartha shared. “People worked so hard to gain the right to vote, and I hated that I had lost it.”

An active voter prior to her incarceration, Franwartha made it her priority to head down to the Supervisor of Elections and register to vote after Amendment 4 went into effect on January 8, 2019. “I did my time, paid my debt to society, and it felt so good to vote again.” After successfully voting in last week’s local election, she is looking forward to casting future ballots.

Congratulations Franwartha! All of us here at Operation New Hope celebrate your achievements as a returning citizen and welcome you back.