US Election Day: For this reason, Donald Trump, the first ex-president to be convicted of crimes, can still vote today

Former President Donald Trump will have no problem voting today, even though Florida often makes it difficult for residents with felony convictions to regain their voting rights.

At the beginning of May, Trump became the first former US president to be convicted of crimes. A New York jury has found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business documents in connection with a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about their alleged affair. His sentencing is scheduled for November 26th.

Reacting to the verdict, an angry Trump told reporters as he left the courtroom: “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.”

“The actual verdict will be passed by the people on November 5th. They know what happened and everyone knows what happened here,” he added.

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Everything you need to know about Florida law

Under Florida law, if a voter is convicted out of state, Florida will follow that state's rules regarding restoration of voting rights.

Likewise, Trump is likely to benefit from a 2021 New York law that allows voters with felonies to cast ballots as long as they are not incarcerated at the time of the election.

For other Floridians convicted of felonies, the rules are not as clear.

Also read: HT in the US: Special coverage of the American elections by Prashant Jha

The state's Republican lawmakers defeated a successful ballot proposal in 2018 that would restore voting rights to people who had completed their prison sentences. They have passed laws requiring the payment of all fines and fees associated with a conviction. This can be a difficult process as there is no central system to track these unpaid amounts.

Furthermore, the conviction and even imprisonment did not deter Trump from seeking the presidency.

Previously, a criminal conviction could spell the end of a presidential campaign, but Trump's political career has endured despite two impeachments, sexual abuse allegations, investigations into everything from possible Russian ties to election-rigging plots and personally offensive storylines , in which he bragged about grabbing women by their genitals.