Posted on 09/19/2004 9:25:02 PM PDT by Mo1
Are people serving time in prison allowed to vote?
Kathleen
Fairbanks, Alaska
Dear Kathleen:
Every state except two bars prisoners convicted of felonies (and some other crimes) from voting. Prisoners in Maine and Vermont are allowed to vote by absentee ballot.
The U.S. Department of Justice lists details for each state and notes that the right to vote is controlled by states for both federal and state elections. Article 1, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution gives states this power over congressional elections, and the Constitution further allows states to run presidential elections. Of course, states govern their own internal elections, as well.
In most states, a convicted felon's right to vote is automatically restored after the completion of prison time and/or parole. Some states require ex-cons to request pardons from the governor in order to vote. A couple of states don't restore the right to vote for five years after the prison sentence. Those convicted of voter fraud in Maryland and Missouri are banned from the voting booth forever.
http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20041013.html
I'm listening to the debate on the radio and I am making loud GAGnBARF noises whenever Kerry talks -- my cats are convinced I am bonkers.
"We are all God's children."
puke
LOL! I'm stuck at work and no radio!!! I've been looking at the live thread whenever possible - this is the first debate I've missed, darn it. I think I can log off shortly and head home and maybe catch the last few minutes. Has K. made the people rise up from their wheelchairs yet?
Is this the live thread?
C-SPAN
http://www.c-span.org/watch/
The President is doing a good job on the comebacks.
Kerry has to go through numerical and historical contortions to come up with his irrelevant statistics. He is saying nothing but using up a whole lot of words.
LOL!
Had to split for a bit and assist with babysitting.
Big Bush and little Kerry? Anybody else think the president is kicking *$$ in the debate?
Don't you think Kerry face seems ash grey!
I love how all of these questions are geered towards Bush as some weakness, but Kerry is never questioned on his 20 years!
Goody - made it back to tv. Restornu - I was looking at the FR live debate thread at work - that is so exciting and funny to watch. I listened to the radio on the way back and got to hear the immigration question and a few others. GO DUBYA.
Were you babysitting kitties, humans, or trolls, DS?
I can't see Kerry, I'm listening to the radio. I think Bush has won this one bigtime.
I agree. And I think Kerry really hung himself on abortion, queer marriage and illegals.
He never mentioned Ther-ray-zuh by name, did he? I heard him talk about his dying mother, and something about his daughters, but I must have missed when he proclaimed his love for the wife he "married up"...
He knows that Laura Bush so totally outclasses his unkempt, arrogant lunatic wife that it's best to pretend she's nonexistant.
ROTFL!!!
Maybe he couldn't remember it. Probably calls her money bunny.
Oh just damn...I had to go to pee just when Kerry was talking of his family and marrying up. I heard him say that he "could take it". What did he mean?
Libby I just remember the 2000 election FIASCO!! Floriduh was beyond pathetic. All those "hanging chads" were from bussed in black voters told to try to punch 10 cards at the same time. Then there was the brouhaha about blacks being stopped at Police roadblocks and not allowed to proceed to the voting stations. WHAT CRAP!! THEN you have your midwestern factory/union states. MORE fraud. Then all the University students stating that they had voted multiple times. And last but not least, the cigarettes given to street folks in exchange for Democratic votes. This is supposed to be a free and democratic country. IF this fraud is NOT properly addressed in the next weeks, well I shudder to think what is going to happen.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.