Released felons gain right to vote in Maryland following veto override

The Baltimore Sun ^ | February 9, 2016 | Erin Cox

[House Atreides]

The Maryland Senate narrowly overrode Gov. Larry Hogan's final veto from last year's General Assembly session, paving the way to reinstate voting rights to felons before they complete probation or parole.

The 29-18 vote on Tuesday puts the law on the books 30 days from now and represents a political defeat for Hogan, a Republican. The bill was the sixth that Hogan vetoed last year, and the sixth the Democrat-controlled General Assembly reinstated.

The vote, twice delayed in order to muster enough support, followed an expansive debate that touched on resolving racial disparities in the criminal justice system and protecting victims of violent crime. Proponents argued voting would help felons rejoin society. The current system requires felons to complete probation and parole before registering to vote. Supporters of the law said that process was confusing and demoralizing to people trying to rebuild their lives.

[Rome2000]

Disenfranchisement of the parasite class by any means necessary is crucial in order to restore the Republic.

It CAN be done.

It WILL be done.

[VanDeKoik]

So now the guy that molested your kid can now cancel out your vote.

[Eleutheria5]

So they can elect their fellow felons.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Well, Maryland is right next to DC. If they didn’t let felons vote, none of the politicians who live in Maryland would be able to vote.

[Red Badger]

You scuba dive in lakes with guns?....................Loch Ness?.................

[Angels27]

Oh well, not like Republicans had a chance in MD anyway.

This country will be luck to survive another 10 years.

Come soon, Lord Jesus!

[DrewsMum]

I disagree with most “blanket” laws.

I think if a felon remains crime free, for 5 years after his sentence is complete, he regains voting right. If he commits a another felony, he loses the right forever.

[sickoflibs]

?????

I thought this was already done by O Malley.

Felons gain right to vote- Beginning July 1, law to allow registration in Maryland after completion of sentence (April 25, 2007|By Andrew A. Green | Baltimore Sun reporter

[umgud]

So Freddie Grey gets to vote?

[DaveA37]

My guess these felons have pledged to vote demodummie just to get out the door of the prisons, not that they would not have voted for the demodummies in the first place.

[b4its2late]

The country as a whole is going down one.

[2harddrive]

If one has the right to VOTE, then one has the right to OWN and CARRY guns. The same standard applies! That means NO picture ID’s to buy guns - that is too discriminatory.

[AllAmericanGirl44]

Soros’ dream come true.

[Objective Scrutator]

You can espouse your principles all you’d like, but the bottom line is that felons are a staunch liberal bloc. If you want more liberals in office, you let felons vote; if you want conservatives in office, you don’t let felons vote.

It’s unfortunate that some people wouldn’t be able to vote if they were indicted on BS such as trying to escape tax fraud on the part of the government, but results are results.

[NRx]

Sorry but I don’t support disenfranchising people on the basis of their politics. There is a word for that. Dictatorship. I will just have to live with the occasional electoral disappointment.

[Dr. Sivana]

Released felons gain right to vote in Maryland following veto override

And that, my friends, is why we have an electoral college.

[Objective Scrutator]

What you proposed in your post #11, removing gun rights from non-violent offenders on a second offense, is far more dictatorial than what I propose we do with voting rights. Removing the voting rights from felons (be it just or unjust) has the practical effect of soldifying the right to a gun for all citizens, which is a far more fundamental right than voting is.

If someone’s voting rights are revoked, they can attempt to flee the country, but it is possible to survive without gun rights. It is not possible to survive without gun rights.

[Objective Scrutator]

OOPS possible to survive without VOTING rights.

[sparklite2]

Well said. “Having paid one’s debt to society” means nothing to the Sisters of Perpetual Punishment.

[Trumpinator]

I think anyone who serves their time and is off parole should have full citizenship rights re-instated. That is the meaning of paying one’s debt to society.