After a quick duckduckgo search, I landed at the “ncsl.org/…felon voting rights” site, where it very clearly indicates that voting rights for felons ARE DETERMINED BY EACH STATE.
A breakdown goes like this:
In 14 states and in D.C., felons lose the right to vote while incarcerated.
In 12 states, felons lose the right to vote while incarcerated and indefinitely for certain crimes, and must wait a period of time to have the right restored.
In 22 states, felons can’t vote while incarcerated, and have a waiting period while on probation/parole, and might have to pay fees.
In 2 states, Maine and VERMONT, FELONS NEVER LOSE THE RIGHT TO VOTE! So, where is Sanders from???
After finding this information, I had to vote “No, each state should decide for itself”…because that is the LAW!
If I could wave my magic wand, I’d join the group of 22.
Dan W.
5 years ago
This is a complicated question because voting takes place at the federal, state. and local levels but as has been pointed out, each state sets its own voting rights and can suspend a person’s voting rights during incarceration.
In any case, I would place voting rights in a category with most other constitutional rights which are limited, restricted or suspended during incarceration. As with most other constitutional rights, voting rights should be reinstated when a person’s period of incarceration ends.
The Freezing Senior
5 years ago
VOTING FROM THE GRAYBAR HOTEL AIN’T NO BIG THING …
In Cook County Illinois, ( think Chicago, BHO et al ) the graveyards are full of active voters – it’s the DEMOCRAT (Socialist) way.
Bernie can’t top that.
.
#TRUMP2020 – Deus Vult !
Gregg Cegelski
5 years ago
If you’re a convicted felon who killed someone, you should NEVER be able to vote because you took their right to vote away from them forever!
Bryan
5 years ago
Once they pay their full debt to society they should have “all” rights restored to them. Including the second amendment. The right to vote can be more dangerous than the right to bear arms!!! Think about that, or, put your head back into the sand.
John
5 years ago
State elections, state decided; natinal elections, no vote!
Scott D
5 years ago
Only after a pardon of the felony
Marie
5 years ago
Ask the families who have lost a loved one due to a criminal; I don’ t think they care about election laws held in their state. It seems to me the victim is never considered!
Paul Raub
5 years ago
If someone commits a crime and is found to be guilty of that crime, whether by a jury or admission, once they have served their sentence & completed all requirements associated, they should be allowed to petition the courts to have the “privilege” to vote restored.
Charles Beall
5 years ago
I don’t believe I have a Liberal bone in my body. Never the less, it seems to me in all but the most extreme cases and repeat offenders, our Justice System treats people who’ve served their time and were released, as if they escaped from prison.
Allen
5 years ago
I have worked with felons for 30 years. NO they should NOT be allowed to vote!!! And you cannot let States decided — or else you would have States like California New York, & Illinois letting very one vote !!!!
Dave
5 years ago
Shouldn’t it depend on the felony?
Lew Rigaud
5 years ago
Convicted felons lose that privilege when they are convicted!! The leftist liberals will do anything to steal an elections!!
Susan hrovat
5 years ago
The right to vote should not be afforded during a convicted felons term of incarceration or community supervision.When they have successfully completed their debt to society,their right to vote should be restored…but not before.I work in law enforcement and have seen some people who turn their lives around after a mistake.
Pat
5 years ago
Of course, this is complicated by the fact that many prisoners violated laws that never should have been passed in the first place. And I am NOT talking about drug laws, which are LEGITIMATE. We just need to enforce those effectively against traffickers, and we need to build the wall.
Ginger
5 years ago
A white collar crime person, someone who had a “personal use” amount of marijuana on them and was arrested is way different than a rapist, arsonist and/ or a murderer who is a felon.
There has got to be way to deal with the different levels of crimes the person has committed, so there is no “blanket” view of felons. There are some great people…patriots that are felons that should be allowed to vote.
There are already so many undocumented people voting, it doesn’t seem fair!
Janet
5 years ago
Unless you are God almighty and only He has the right to judge the severity of the felony every felon, once released and off probation should have their voting rights restored.
Dan F
5 years ago
In a state like Michigan who just voted in 5 socialist/democrats to the top executive slots by winning the 5 largest populated urban decayed cities .Run by socialist/democrat mayors.There is little
to protect society from the “Hy-Jinks” of these Marxists other then our House & Senate.Who are still somewhat sane.
Bob
5 years ago
They forfeited their right to vote when they committed a felony, if they didn’t know they should’ve, unless the schools have decided that things like that need not be taught like they do history and geography are now. The liberal school systems are not preparing students for adulthood but just to pass the SAT.
Stephanie Jones
5 years ago
If you want to be a part of society and have privileges like voting- FOLLOW THE LAWS!
Sherelene Brown
5 years ago
I do think voting rights should be reinstated when they’re released.
David Buffaloe
5 years ago
Sadly the Democratic Party is always trying to rig the vote. Illegal aliens and people who do illegal things are where they get many votes.
CAG
5 years ago
The Left is so darn desperate for votes they are letting anyone, anywhere with any background, legal or illegal to vote. This is the only way they have a snowball chance in hell to win in 2020. If the American people don’t wake up and start seeing the Left for who they rally are…communists, socialists and lying traitors and vote all RED, from dogcatcher to POTUS, then we deserve exactly what we will get if the Left wins ANY election. The total destruction of our beloved country and all that we cherish and value.
REBECCA BELLAMY
5 years ago
Why should the man that took a deer rifle and blew my mother’s head off have the right to do anything? He has it made behind bars! Three meals a day, cable tv, air conditioning, etc., They deserve NO luxuries! NONE!!! On top of that we find out that he was a convicted felon and should not have had a gun to begin with!
Rich
5 years ago
this could be and is a slippery slope. if their constitutional rights to vote are restored, how long will it be before their constitutional rights to keep and bear arms? Keep the genie in the bottle! when a person decides to commit a felony, depriving others of their rights, safety, and or property, they have chosen to forfeit their own.
Gary Page
5 years ago
If you belong to AMAC, why would you vote YES?
Chuck
5 years ago
If you are depriving them of their freedom as punishment for a crime then you have your answer.
Mary L Sedwick
5 years ago
I don’t think they should be allowed to vote while they are in prison but depending on the crime,after serving their time they should be able to. Lesser offenses should get consideration.
Dave Radetsky
5 years ago
The main problem with the question is that it’s so poorly understood. Most people think that a felony includes only murderers, rapists, and other crimes either of violence or something like a drug dealer or someone who stole thousands of dollars or more. What they don’t know is that in many states a felony includes things such as theft of something worth $400 or more. So, for example, when a young man in his early 20s commits a crime worth $400, they lose their rights for life. Instead of allowing NON-violent offenders (violent crimes should cause loss of rights permanently) to do their time, pay restitution, and then after they’ve done that have a probationary period of something like 10 years where they live good lives and prove that they are not getting into any more trouble, and then they should get their rights back. However, if they commit another crime at any time later in their life, then they permanently lose their rights
Tom M
5 years ago
Sure, give them whatever they want as long as the victims of their crimes get a full reset back to the time before the crime against them. Strange that the criminal get his life back after serving time, but the damage he has done can never be repaid or taken back. Not to worry as we have progressed to the point where the victim is the one guilty of the crime committed by the perp. That’s socialism in the raw.
Martha
5 years ago
Any non violent felon, drug charges, should be able to vote. Murderers, child molesters, rapists, etc. should not have the right.
Chasmag
5 years ago
The first question comes to my mind is how does fellons voting help society? These people committed crimes against society so why allow them to participate in the decision making process for society? What is the real value of letting fellons vote? This stinks of nothing more than democrats looking for votes because they know they need as many votes as they can dig up to win. Outside of that there is no reason to bring this issue up. Tugging at liberals heart strings for the criminals. They can’t make other issues work on their quest for the WH because it would make them look conservative.
Tom
5 years ago
If a State is foolish enough to allow the vote on Local issues, fine. To vote in any US election I feel you Must be a Citizen and Not be incarcerated. Crime committed, privlage lost.
Bob A.
5 years ago
As a convicted felon, I have to say there are already too many constitutional and civil rights stripped away from felons with no common sense applied to the law or rule. For example, many felonies have nothing to do with killing or even harming anyone. Yet when felons are released from prison and even after probation or parole, they may become targets of self-righteous morons who look to bring them harm. Why then are this felons stripped of their constitutional right to bare arms – (i.e. own guns) for their own protection, to hunt or even just gun to a gun range to shoot FOR LIFE?
As for election laws, the States should have no control over who may or may not vote in elections for federal office. Also, ONLY LEGAL American citizens should be allowed to vote in ANY election.
Ramona Koonce
5 years ago
If too many people vote for felons not being able to exercise their right to vote, the justice system will make less crimes felonies.
Hubert
5 years ago
No person convicted of a crime should be able to vote.
Doug Pope
5 years ago
Once they’re out and have completed all parole requirements including no longer being on parole, I got no problem with it. And my views apply to non-violent offenders only.
Cookiepress
5 years ago
only taxpayers should be allowed to vote
Linda Ruhnow
5 years ago
Bernie said they paid their price for their crimes but if they are still in prison they have not paid it all yet!!!
Sandi B
5 years ago
any crime that results in a death to another should never have the right to vote. You took that persons right to vote
Carl
5 years ago
While they are incarcerated Absolutely NOT. If after they are released and for a period of time can establish they have turned their lives around, there should be a process for them to have that right (and others) reinstated
Sandi B
5 years ago
Any person convicted of a crime that results in death to another should never get voting rights back. They took another’s right away permantely so theirs should be banned. A 3 strikes should be banned for life to.
Donald Mccormick
5 years ago
Those Jail Felons should NOT be able to vote while in jail/Prison because they are then able to SELL their vote to other Prisoners so they might vote their own ways and the other prisoners could change the way the total vote goes by making their own vote go their own way and make the vote to go with the prisoners and maybe cause the prisoner to be let out sooner than their sentence say they should do their entire sentence just because that one prisoner vote HIS WAY.
Plus it would be harder to actually get the ballots to the individual prisoner so they could vote and they would have to just give them a lot of pensiles so they could vote and then use those pensiles to force the guards to help them to get out of jail/Prison against the will of the jail/Prison requirements.
Joseph S Dreiling
5 years ago
I have dealt with enough felons to know that they do not react well to any responsibility. Most are at and remain at the teenage level of responsibility. Voting should be a question of what is good for everyone as a group rather than what makes me feel good.
William Johnson
5 years ago
People make mistakes throughout life and should not be punished forever. People are entitled to change.
Rick Marlowe
5 years ago
Voting is a privilege not an unconditional right.
James
5 years ago
If they served their time. And have been out of trouble for 5 years or better they should be able to vote.
Steven Mark Whittemore
5 years ago
Still have human rights. Loose the civil rights.
Kilemal
5 years ago
What do you mean, “Should felons be allowed to vote?” Don’t politicians “vote?” Show me one you think not a felon and I’ll prove you false; particularly from the sinistral side of things.
Steven Bailey
5 years ago
there are a number of facts here we should consider.
1. ALL of our founders were declared #traitors and felons by King George.
2. OUR country is/was based on the idea of Natural Rights among others
3. We have always been a forgiving society & have believed in ” second ‘ chances.
4. Of what good or truth is it to say that a person has paid their ‘ debt ” to society and in the same breath deny them full return back into society?
After a quick duckduckgo search, I landed at the “ncsl.org/…felon voting rights” site, where it very clearly indicates that voting rights for felons ARE DETERMINED BY EACH STATE.
A breakdown goes like this:
In 14 states and in D.C., felons lose the right to vote while incarcerated.
In 12 states, felons lose the right to vote while incarcerated and indefinitely for certain crimes, and must wait a period of time to have the right restored.
In 22 states, felons can’t vote while incarcerated, and have a waiting period while on probation/parole, and might have to pay fees.
In 2 states, Maine and VERMONT, FELONS NEVER LOSE THE RIGHT TO VOTE! So, where is Sanders from???
After finding this information, I had to vote “No, each state should decide for itself”…because that is the LAW!
If I could wave my magic wand, I’d join the group of 22.
This is a complicated question because voting takes place at the federal, state. and local levels but as has been pointed out, each state sets its own voting rights and can suspend a person’s voting rights during incarceration.
In any case, I would place voting rights in a category with most other constitutional rights which are limited, restricted or suspended during incarceration. As with most other constitutional rights, voting rights should be reinstated when a person’s period of incarceration ends.
VOTING FROM THE GRAYBAR HOTEL AIN’T NO BIG THING …
In Cook County Illinois, ( think Chicago, BHO et al ) the graveyards are full of active voters – it’s the DEMOCRAT (Socialist) way.
Bernie can’t top that.
.
#TRUMP2020 – Deus Vult !
If you’re a convicted felon who killed someone, you should NEVER be able to vote because you took their right to vote away from them forever!
Once they pay their full debt to society they should have “all” rights restored to them. Including the second amendment. The right to vote can be more dangerous than the right to bear arms!!! Think about that, or, put your head back into the sand.
State elections, state decided; natinal elections, no vote!
Only after a pardon of the felony
Ask the families who have lost a loved one due to a criminal; I don’ t think they care about election laws held in their state. It seems to me the victim is never considered!
If someone commits a crime and is found to be guilty of that crime, whether by a jury or admission, once they have served their sentence & completed all requirements associated, they should be allowed to petition the courts to have the “privilege” to vote restored.
I don’t believe I have a Liberal bone in my body. Never the less, it seems to me in all but the most extreme cases and repeat offenders, our Justice System treats people who’ve served their time and were released, as if they escaped from prison.
I have worked with felons for 30 years. NO they should NOT be allowed to vote!!! And you cannot let States decided — or else you would have States like California New York, & Illinois letting very one vote !!!!
Shouldn’t it depend on the felony?
Convicted felons lose that privilege when they are convicted!! The leftist liberals will do anything to steal an elections!!
The right to vote should not be afforded during a convicted felons term of incarceration or community supervision.When they have successfully completed their debt to society,their right to vote should be restored…but not before.I work in law enforcement and have seen some people who turn their lives around after a mistake.
Of course, this is complicated by the fact that many prisoners violated laws that never should have been passed in the first place. And I am NOT talking about drug laws, which are LEGITIMATE. We just need to enforce those effectively against traffickers, and we need to build the wall.
A white collar crime person, someone who had a “personal use” amount of marijuana on them and was arrested is way different than a rapist, arsonist and/ or a murderer who is a felon.
There has got to be way to deal with the different levels of crimes the person has committed, so there is no “blanket” view of felons. There are some great people…patriots that are felons that should be allowed to vote.
There are already so many undocumented people voting, it doesn’t seem fair!
Unless you are God almighty and only He has the right to judge the severity of the felony every felon, once released and off probation should have their voting rights restored.
In a state like Michigan who just voted in 5 socialist/democrats to the top executive slots by winning the 5 largest populated urban decayed cities .Run by socialist/democrat mayors.There is little
to protect society from the “Hy-Jinks” of these Marxists other then our House & Senate.Who are still somewhat sane.
They forfeited their right to vote when they committed a felony, if they didn’t know they should’ve, unless the schools have decided that things like that need not be taught like they do history and geography are now. The liberal school systems are not preparing students for adulthood but just to pass the SAT.
If you want to be a part of society and have privileges like voting- FOLLOW THE LAWS!
I do think voting rights should be reinstated when they’re released.
Sadly the Democratic Party is always trying to rig the vote. Illegal aliens and people who do illegal things are where they get many votes.
The Left is so darn desperate for votes they are letting anyone, anywhere with any background, legal or illegal to vote. This is the only way they have a snowball chance in hell to win in 2020. If the American people don’t wake up and start seeing the Left for who they rally are…communists, socialists and lying traitors and vote all RED, from dogcatcher to POTUS, then we deserve exactly what we will get if the Left wins ANY election. The total destruction of our beloved country and all that we cherish and value.
Why should the man that took a deer rifle and blew my mother’s head off have the right to do anything? He has it made behind bars! Three meals a day, cable tv, air conditioning, etc., They deserve NO luxuries! NONE!!! On top of that we find out that he was a convicted felon and should not have had a gun to begin with!
this could be and is a slippery slope. if their constitutional rights to vote are restored, how long will it be before their constitutional rights to keep and bear arms? Keep the genie in the bottle! when a person decides to commit a felony, depriving others of their rights, safety, and or property, they have chosen to forfeit their own.
If you belong to AMAC, why would you vote YES?
If you are depriving them of their freedom as punishment for a crime then you have your answer.
I don’t think they should be allowed to vote while they are in prison but depending on the crime,after serving their time they should be able to. Lesser offenses should get consideration.
The main problem with the question is that it’s so poorly understood. Most people think that a felony includes only murderers, rapists, and other crimes either of violence or something like a drug dealer or someone who stole thousands of dollars or more. What they don’t know is that in many states a felony includes things such as theft of something worth $400 or more. So, for example, when a young man in his early 20s commits a crime worth $400, they lose their rights for life. Instead of allowing NON-violent offenders (violent crimes should cause loss of rights permanently) to do their time, pay restitution, and then after they’ve done that have a probationary period of something like 10 years where they live good lives and prove that they are not getting into any more trouble, and then they should get their rights back. However, if they commit another crime at any time later in their life, then they permanently lose their rights
Sure, give them whatever they want as long as the victims of their crimes get a full reset back to the time before the crime against them. Strange that the criminal get his life back after serving time, but the damage he has done can never be repaid or taken back. Not to worry as we have progressed to the point where the victim is the one guilty of the crime committed by the perp. That’s socialism in the raw.
Any non violent felon, drug charges, should be able to vote. Murderers, child molesters, rapists, etc. should not have the right.
The first question comes to my mind is how does fellons voting help society? These people committed crimes against society so why allow them to participate in the decision making process for society? What is the real value of letting fellons vote? This stinks of nothing more than democrats looking for votes because they know they need as many votes as they can dig up to win. Outside of that there is no reason to bring this issue up. Tugging at liberals heart strings for the criminals. They can’t make other issues work on their quest for the WH because it would make them look conservative.
If a State is foolish enough to allow the vote on Local issues, fine. To vote in any US election I feel you Must be a Citizen and Not be incarcerated. Crime committed, privlage lost.
As a convicted felon, I have to say there are already too many constitutional and civil rights stripped away from felons with no common sense applied to the law or rule. For example, many felonies have nothing to do with killing or even harming anyone. Yet when felons are released from prison and even after probation or parole, they may become targets of self-righteous morons who look to bring them harm. Why then are this felons stripped of their constitutional right to bare arms – (i.e. own guns) for their own protection, to hunt or even just gun to a gun range to shoot FOR LIFE?
As for election laws, the States should have no control over who may or may not vote in elections for federal office. Also, ONLY LEGAL American citizens should be allowed to vote in ANY election.
If too many people vote for felons not being able to exercise their right to vote, the justice system will make less crimes felonies.
No person convicted of a crime should be able to vote.
Once they’re out and have completed all parole requirements including no longer being on parole, I got no problem with it. And my views apply to non-violent offenders only.
only taxpayers should be allowed to vote
Bernie said they paid their price for their crimes but if they are still in prison they have not paid it all yet!!!
any crime that results in a death to another should never have the right to vote. You took that persons right to vote
While they are incarcerated Absolutely NOT. If after they are released and for a period of time can establish they have turned their lives around, there should be a process for them to have that right (and others) reinstated
Any person convicted of a crime that results in death to another should never get voting rights back. They took another’s right away permantely so theirs should be banned. A 3 strikes should be banned for life to.
Those Jail Felons should NOT be able to vote while in jail/Prison because they are then able to SELL their vote to other Prisoners so they might vote their own ways and the other prisoners could change the way the total vote goes by making their own vote go their own way and make the vote to go with the prisoners and maybe cause the prisoner to be let out sooner than their sentence say they should do their entire sentence just because that one prisoner vote HIS WAY.
Plus it would be harder to actually get the ballots to the individual prisoner so they could vote and they would have to just give them a lot of pensiles so they could vote and then use those pensiles to force the guards to help them to get out of jail/Prison against the will of the jail/Prison requirements.
I have dealt with enough felons to know that they do not react well to any responsibility. Most are at and remain at the teenage level of responsibility. Voting should be a question of what is good for everyone as a group rather than what makes me feel good.
People make mistakes throughout life and should not be punished forever. People are entitled to change.
Voting is a privilege not an unconditional right.
If they served their time. And have been out of trouble for 5 years or better they should be able to vote.
Still have human rights. Loose the civil rights.
What do you mean, “Should felons be allowed to vote?” Don’t politicians “vote?” Show me one you think not a felon and I’ll prove you false; particularly from the sinistral side of things.
there are a number of facts here we should consider.
1. ALL of our founders were declared #traitors and felons by King George.
2. OUR country is/was based on the idea of Natural Rights among others
3. We have always been a forgiving society & have believed in ” second ‘ chances.
4. Of what good or truth is it to say that a person has paid their ‘ debt ” to society and in the same breath deny them full return back into society?