Only months after being convicted of 34 felonies in the state of New York, former President Donald Trump exercised his right to vote at a Palm Beach, Florida, polling location on Aug. 14.

Florida voters overwhelmingly supported a 2018 constitutional amendment restoring the voting rights of people with felony convictions after theyve finished their sentences, except for those convicted of murder or a felony sex crime. But in the years since, Florida Republicans have worked to place obstacles in the way.

So when the most prominent Republican in the state cast his ballot in Floridas primary elections, felony conviction and all, some voting rights advocates celebrated.

Trump is an example of some of the challenges that exist, but also the opportunities that exist to create a better system a process that works better for everybody, said Neil Volz, deputy director of Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, a group promoting voting rights for formerly incarcerated people. Volz said that in recent months, hes noticed an uptick in speaking requests from conservative groups who have a new interest in how the criminal-legal system interacts with voting rights.

Every move that he makes is being looked at, Volz said of Trump. And thats an educational opportunity for us.