Question of the Month
March
2002
What kind of voting
rights do states grant to prisoners and ex-felons?
Each of the 11 Midwestern states
bars felons from voting while imprisoned, and Vermont and Maine are
the only exceptions to this policy around the country. The rationale
for these laws has long been that lawbreakers, who lose certain rights
granted to law-abiding citizens, should not have a say in electing the
people that set societal rules.
But should ex-felons have their right
to vote restored upon completion of their sentence? Most states say
yes, and in many cases, ex-felons automatically regain their voting
privileges. In Iowa, though, a felon must obtain a
pardon or restoration of citizenship from the governor. Nebraska
felons must seek a "warrant of discharge" from the state
Board of Pardons.
Several pieces of federal legislation
have been introduced that would override state disenfranchisement laws
for felons once they are out of prison, but none have been successful
thus far. State laws also differ on when felons’ voting privileges
should be reinstated. According to The Sentencing Project, a nonprofit
organization that promotes decreased reliance on incarceration, 32
states prohibit felons from voting while on parole, while 28 bar those
on probation from the voting booth. Iowa, Minnesota,
Nebraska and Wisconsin are among the states that do not
allow parolees and probationers to vote.
As incarceration rates and the number
of young people charged with felonies have increased, the granting of
voting rights to ex-convicts has become a significant issue. This is
especially true among certain racial groups, particularly blacks and
Hispanics, who are over-represented in the prison population. More
information on this issue can be found at www.commoncause.org.
For
more information on this or any other public policy issue, please call
630-925-1922 or complete the online
form for research services.
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