Convicted Felons Should Retain The Right to Vote

Individuals convicted of a felony should not lose their right to vote. The right to vote is a

birth right for citizens born in this country. This right is taken for granted by many and is

exercised by far too few. As the United States prepares for its 57th presidential election over five

million of its citizens will be denied their right to participate in the electoral process. Why would

such a large number of people be denied a constitutional right? They have been excluded from

voting because they have been convicted of a felony. A felony is usually considered any crime

that could lead to more than a year in prison. But states can often have differing views of what is

considered a felony or a misdemeanor. Such an important right should not be subject to the

whims of state legislatures. Laws that prohibit felons from voting are a punishment above and

beyond the one handed out by the judicial system.

There is no uniformity to the laws barring convicted felons from voting. Laws vary

greatly from state to state. Almost every state prevents incarcerated felons from voting. The

only exceptions are Maine and Vermont. While some states reinstate voting rights once a

person has been released from prison; more than thirty continue to disenfranchise these

individuals. Thirty one states prohibit those on probation for felony offenses from voting.

Thirty six states prohibit those on parole for felony crimes from voting in elections. Several of

these states will restore the voting rights of convicted felons once the probation and/or parole

have been completed. But some of our fellow citizens will have their right to vote permanently

revoked. The nation at a whole should be concerned abo...

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...ple University Press.

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