Posted on 10/19/2010 9:06:16 PM PDT by Second Amendment First
A study of felony disenfranchisement laws has found that 800,000 former felons have been returned to the voter rolls in the past decade.
A push by criminal justice advocates and civil rights groups to rewrite state laws that sometimes place lifetime voting bans on felons has resulted in 23 states amending their policies since 1997 to expand voter eligibility, according to a report out by the Sentencing Project.
Nine states repealed or reduced their lifetime voting bans, and eight states made it easier for former felons to appeal to have their voting rights restored.
Those changes were made despite "political challenges that hinder reform and can make it difficult for elected officials to extend civil rights to persons with felony convictions," said Nicole Porter, author of the report and the Sentencing Project's state advocacy coordinator.
Existing policies vary from state to state, with Kentucky and Virginia denying ex-felons the right to vote - even after they have completed parole or probation sentences. Both states require individuals to apply to the governor for restoration of civil rights.
Other states have changed those policies. Rhode Island repealed a state prohibition on parolees voting, resulting in the restoration of voting rights to more than 15,000 people. Maryland made a similar change resulting in 52,000 ex-felons regaining the right to vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Gee I wonder why? Are they going to pick them up with buses and buy them ice cream after they vote?
Felons vote, but not the military. How messed up can you get??
More like cigs and hookers
Our troops get left out of the voting process, but felons get to vote ... thank you Obama. Asshat personified.
I’m sorry, but the barring of felons from voting or owning firearms AFTER HAVING SERVED THEIR SENTENCE is an indictment against the Legislature and the Judiciary. It violates centuries, and likely Millennia, of jurisprudence wherein once the price has been paid [that is the sentence has been served] the “slate is wiped clean” insofar as the law is concerned.
Shows which class of citizens the democrats value. Soldiers get us out of crisis and the preferred by democrats, felons, create crisis domestically. BLOAT
You betcha!
It’s a state issue. Strong arguments can be made for both sides, I suspect.
I know many felons who are still incarcerated but are staunch conservatives.
Some of us have been forgiven much.
But our soldiers overseas.....
I agree. Voting rights should be restored after all sentence and parole is complete.
Code words for DemocRats. If they were REALLY for what they say, they would decide that once a person had served their sentence, they would get ALL of their rights restored, including the RKBA.
This is NOT right.
Plus, felons generally vote Democrat, and the Military generally vote Republican. Do you remember the 4 page memo from the Democrats in the 2000 election telling how to disallow all military votes? I’ve gone through several computer crashed and one computer replacement since then, and don’t have it. It was very telling. Of course, just not getting the ballots to the military in time solves the problem too.
Don’t worry, the “likely” in that description is likely to change in 2014 when it becomes a felony not to have health insurance.
Is this a JOKE? OMG!
True! Let’s hope a REPUBLICAN Congress will repeal that.
Felons can vote, the military cannot.
Welcome to Obamaland. :)
I thought the penalty imposed by a judge on a duly tried and convicted felon, once served, was all the retribution that society could demand under the law.
But it seems that once felon, forever a felon.
Why is that? Why, having served the time and or paid the price set under law, must a freed former felon be denied the right to own and keep a firearm for his/her personal defense, or be further deprived of civil rights?
I don’t get it; and I am not in any way connected with a felon, or, as I prefer, former felon.
No voter fraud here when felons get head of the line privileges while active duty military on the battlefront are turned away.
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