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Nearly 100 felons in Florida asked for clemency Wednesday seeking civil rights restoration. As Matt Galka explains, a heavy backlog in the system has protestors crying foul and calling for the state to go back to the old system.

Robert Mallan’s appeal to the executive clemency board didn’t go the way he wanted. Mallan was convicted of kidnapping a 10 year old boy in Tampa.  He’s been out of jail since 1991 but his civil rights haven’t been restored.

“It looms over you and sometimes your past, you have to explain certain situations,” said Mallan.

Former Governor Charlie Crist established the automatic restoration of civil rights for former felons. Governor Rick Scott and the cabinet pulled the plug on the program immediately after taking office.

Human Rights advocate Mark Schlackman says the difference in numbers is startling.

“Charlie Crist’s administration granted more than 150,000 civil rights restoration for ex-felons, during the current administration, that number is closer to 1,200,” said Shlackman.

While many at the meeting were looking to get their voting rights back, protesters say the state’s clemency policy is a form of voter suppression.

Ex-offender and voting rights advocate Lashanna Tyson traveled with a group from Orlando to speak out against the policy and backlog of people looking for restoration.

“This is voter suppression in the worst way, this is voter suppression in the absolute worst way. You are disenfranchising two million people to control the vote,” said Tyson.

We asked the Governor about automatic restoration after the meeting.

“What I think about when you hear these cases today, is I think about the victims. I think about what happened to them,” said Gov. Rick Scott (R-Florida).

Florida’s prison population demographics suggest that many of the people in the backlog are minorities. The ACLU of Florida is sending out questionnaire to state cabinet candidates asking their thoughts on the automatic restoration of civil rights. The group says it will publish the responses and non-responses.