PICTURE THIS...
You are a functioning adult with all of your mental capacities. You are a contributing member of society; you work, you pay taxes, and you are successfully supporting your family. You also have been disenfranchised. This means that some of your rights as an American citizen have been taken away, especially the right to vote-- the most important one being your right to vote in national elections.
According to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) May 2008 survey, 5.3 million Americans can no longer vote because of a felony conviction. Or, so those Americans think. Unclear voter registration forms makes regaining this right difficult for felons. Because of inconsistent and perplexing laws governing the convicted felon's right to vote, most people (from the felon to the election official) have no idea whether or not that person can vote. Additionally, voter registration forms fail to include the information that makes the guidelines for each state clear. If there was a national law in which all state voting guidelines were the same, like upon completion of probation or parole the felon could vote, it would benefit not only the convicted felon but the U.S. as a whole.
The right to vote is at the heart of the integrity of American democracy. Being disenfranchised means that you are no longer trusted to make a competent decision about who your leaders will be.
"Disenfranchisement laws work against the successful reentry of offenders."
-American Probation and Parole Association
Many people believe that because of the nature of their crimes, felons can't be trusted to make good political decisions. Why not give them a second chance to prove they can be trusted with this type of decision? Giving them this responsibility back makes them feel more a part of the U.S. and aids in their reentry. One of the felon's biggest concerns when incarcerated is feeling left out and left behind. Regaining their voice in politics is one more way for them to feel as though they can still make a difference as a productive member of society after their release.
One reason that many felons do not vote is because of the disenfranchisement laws. Each state's disenfranchisement laws are different. Many states actually restore a felon's right to vote after completion of all sentences or upon release from incarceration. Felons are not made aware of this! Virginia and Kentucky, the two states with the most oppressive disenfranchisment laws, have influenced all felons to believe that their right to vote has been taken away forever.They are not told that they can vote again, so they don't even try. Furthermore, registering to vote incorrectly is a crime in itself. Why would a felon try to register to vote with the chance of commiting another crime if they have decided to live a crime-free life?
The disenfranchisement laws throughout the country are confusing and oftentimes even the election officials do not know the laws in their own state. Many times the wording on the registration forms are also very confusing. The ACLU did a study on the registration forms in all states and found that the most common mistakes were:
1) Incomplete, innaccurate or misleading information on who can vote and for what duration.
2) Bad information on how to restore their right to vote
3) Confusing format to present the state's disenfranchisement laws
4) No guidence in the proper way for a person with a criminal record to register to vote.
In theory, the way to correct this problem is to make a national law in which all states and the District of Columbia must follow the same voting legislation. The first and foremost being that the felon regains their right to vote upon completion of their sentence, unless disenfranchisement was made a seperate punishment. The second being that all felons receive guidence in how to regain their voting rights and how to register properly. Changing these laws to be more understandable and easier to abide by would benefit the entire country. Felons are people too and should have a voice in society like all the rest of the U.S.
The right to vote is at the heart of the integrity of American democracy. Being disenfranchised means that you are no longer trusted to make a competent decision about who your leaders will be.
"Disenfranchisement laws work against the successful reentry of offenders."
-American Probation and Parole Association
Many people believe that because of the nature of their crimes, felons can't be trusted to make good political decisions. Why not give them a second chance to prove they can be trusted with this type of decision? Giving them this responsibility back makes them feel more a part of the U.S. and aids in their reentry. One of the felon's biggest concerns when incarcerated is feeling left out and left behind. Regaining their voice in politics is one more way for them to feel as though they can still make a difference as a productive member of society after their release.
One reason that many felons do not vote is because of the disenfranchisement laws. Each state's disenfranchisement laws are different. Many states actually restore a felon's right to vote after completion of all sentences or upon release from incarceration. Felons are not made aware of this! Virginia and Kentucky, the two states with the most oppressive disenfranchisment laws, have influenced all felons to believe that their right to vote has been taken away forever.They are not told that they can vote again, so they don't even try. Furthermore, registering to vote incorrectly is a crime in itself. Why would a felon try to register to vote with the chance of commiting another crime if they have decided to live a crime-free life?
The disenfranchisement laws throughout the country are confusing and oftentimes even the election officials do not know the laws in their own state. Many times the wording on the registration forms are also very confusing. The ACLU did a study on the registration forms in all states and found that the most common mistakes were:
1) Incomplete, innaccurate or misleading information on who can vote and for what duration.
2) Bad information on how to restore their right to vote
3) Confusing format to present the state's disenfranchisement laws
4) No guidence in the proper way for a person with a criminal record to register to vote.
In theory, the way to correct this problem is to make a national law in which all states and the District of Columbia must follow the same voting legislation. The first and foremost being that the felon regains their right to vote upon completion of their sentence, unless disenfranchisement was made a seperate punishment. The second being that all felons receive guidence in how to regain their voting rights and how to register properly. Changing these laws to be more understandable and easier to abide by would benefit the entire country. Felons are people too and should have a voice in society like all the rest of the U.S.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Lynette's opinion
I agree with most of your statements. Although I think that any Non-violent offenders should be able to obtain their voting rights after their time is served, what happens to the ones who just keep doing the crimes. Should they be allowed? It is a very sticky situation and it sucks for the ones who get caught once and learn thier lessons and are trying to better themselves. Good job guys, you had very good and informative points.
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REFERENCES
http://felonvoting.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=286
http://www.wvgazette.com/Opinion/Editorials/200805260324
http://www.aclu.org/votingrights/exoffenders/37003prs20081001.html
http://www.aclu.org/votingrights/exoffenders/37001res20081001.html
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/elect/voterights.htm
http://www.aclu.org/votingrights/exoffenders/statelegispolicy2007.html
http://felonvoting.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=286
http://www.wvgazette.com/Opinion/Editorials/200805260324
http://www.aclu.org/votingrights/exoffenders/37003prs20081001.html
http://www.aclu.org/votingrights/exoffenders/37001res20081001.html
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/elect/voterights.htm
http://www.aclu.org/votingrights/exoffenders/statelegispolicy2007.html
http://felonvoting.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=286
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