New Bill Restores Federal Voting Rights to Convicted Felons

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Care2 Causes

In the United States, proponents of felony disenfranchisement believe people convicted of crimes have broken their contract with society and, therefore, should not be allowed to have the same level of access that law abiding citizens do. The idea dates back to the beginning of our nation’s history with colonial laws preventing convicted criminals from voting. In our society of zero tolerance and justice at any cost, many states have enacted laws that have made it next to impossible for anyone convicted of a crime to vote, sometimes even if the convictions were for misdemeanors. Now some in Congress are trying to do something about it.

On March 18, Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), along with nine cosponsors including Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), introduced the Democracy Restoration Act of 2015. The bill allows for automatic restoration of Federal voting rights to all persons after they are released from prison. Convicted felons would immediately be able to vote for all federal offices even if they are still on parole. The bill simply states:

The right of an individual who is a citizen of the United States to vote in any election for Federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility at the time of the election.

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http://www.care2.com/causes/new-bill-restores-federal-voting-rights-to-convicted-felons.html