Thread: Convicted felons voting ?

Which States Allow Convicted Felons to Vote?

By Mike Broemmel, eHow Contributor .
updated: May 11, 2010

Overview of state laws on the right to vote of convicted felons

Voting is a matter of state law. Even federal elections are governed by the laws in force in each of the individual states. Each state determines under what circumstances a convicted felon can or cannot vote. These laws vary rather significantly from one state to another.

No Restrictions
Two states impose no restrictions whatsoever on voting by convicted felons. Maine and Vermont permit felons to vote, even if they are imprisoned. In other words, even upon a felony conviction, the voting rights of residents of these two New England states remain in full force.

Released From Incarceration
The District of Columbia and 11 states permit felons to vote once they are released from a term of incarceration. Additionally, felons on probation can vote in these jurisdictions. The states that permit felons to vote under these circumstances are:
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
Montana
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island

Probation
Five states in the U.S. allow felons on probation, but not on parole or incarcerated, to vote. These states are:
California
Colorado
Connecticut
New York
South Dakota

Fully Complete Sentence
The most common type of law regarding felon voting exists in 20 states. Under this version of the law, a felon automatically obtains a restoration of voting rights when his or her entire sentence is completed. This means the convicted felon is no longer incarcerated, or on parole, probation, or supervised release. These states are:
Alaska
Arkansas
Georgia
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Maryland
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Texas
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Application for Restoration of Rights
Eight states require convicted felons to apply for a restoration of their voting rights once they completely satisfy their sentences. Felons must complete their term of incarceration, probation, parole, or supervised release before they make application for a restoration of voting privileges. These states are:
Alabama
Arizona
Delaware
Florida
Mississippi
Nevada
Tennessee
Wyoming

No Restoration Permitted
Kentucky and Virginia prohibit convicted felons from ever voting.

http://www.ehow.com/list_6500867_states ... vote_.html

i think it would be great if convicted felons began to vote ...

considering that most felons are low intellect , the act of voting could demostrate that their getting their lives together and making something of themselves ...

Originally Posted by marquis

i think it would be great if convicted felons began to vote ...

considering that most felons are low intellect , the act of voting could demostrate that their getting their lives together and making something of themselves ...

I have no problem with them getting the right to vote back after they serve their sentence and get off of parole

but I'm not sure about states that let people in prison or on parole vote.

The problem with grouping all Felons together is that not all felonies are equally bad. Also, different states have different ideas of what a felony crime is.

I posted in another thread about this. I have friends that, back in HS, broke into our H.S as a prank. Their reward was a felony burglary conviction at the ages of 17. Different states charge different ages as adults and some D.As are total jacks that have no give or take in them. Heaven forbid if you can't afford a decent attorney these days. >>

Do the crime, do the time but you shouldn't keep being punished after you have paid your debt. A felony follows a person for life.

Allowing felons to restore the right to vote once their sentence is complete and there parole helped the crime rate in Miami. When they were lining up to vote for Obama in Miami during the early vote and the actual election there was no homicides for one month which is unheard of there. It even made headlines in the Miami Herald. The crime rate was also down in Miami Dade County and officers where rounding up those with warrants.

Originally Posted by swatchick

Allowing felons to restore the right to vote once their sentence is complete and there parole helped the crime rate in Miami. When they were lining up to vote for Obama in Miami during the early vote and the actual election there was no homicides for one month which is unheard of there. It even made headlines in the Miami Herald. The crime rate was also down in Miami Dade County and officers where rounding up those with warrants.

I'd like to see that article. Got a link?

Originally Posted by marquis

. . considering that most felons are low intellect . . .

Is that why so many politicians end up as convicted felons ?

Convicted Felons put Al Franken In office... FACT ! TS

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by swatchick

Allowing felons to restore the right to vote once their sentence is complete and there parole helped the crime rate in Miami. When they were lining up to vote for Obama in Miami during the early vote and the actual election there was no homicides for one month which is unheard of there. It even made headlines in the Miami Herald. The crime rate was also down in Miami Dade County and officers where rounding up those with warrants.

I'd like to see that article. Got a link?

I can only give you part of the article as it is in the archives and you have to pay for the entire article.

2822. Miami Herald - November 2, 2008 - 1B Metro &State

A month without murder BY DAVID OVALLE dovalle@MiamiHerald.com For the first time in 42 years, the city of Miami did not record a homicide over a month's period. But even with the quiet October, police detectives have been busy. Midnight Friday marked the end of October and the news from Miamis homicide office was what didnt happen. No one was murdered. October passed without a homicide -- meaning for the first time since May 1966, an entire month went by in the city of Miami without...
>> Purchase complete article, of 312 words




Read more: http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Arc ... z13u7kR3ue

Nov 3, 2008 12:04 am

Miami Goes "Murder Free" For A Month

MIAMI (CBS4) ―

October turned out to be a milestone month for the City of Miami. For the first time in more than 40 years, there were no murders in the city's limit for an entire month.

The last time the city experienced no homicides for an entire month was in 1966. "I'm 45 and born in Miami, so that's big news to me," said Peter Fullerton. As a husband and father, he's very encouraged by the milestone.

He says safety is at the top of the list for his family, and that it's a deciding factor of whether they move elsewhere. "It's about whether we stay or not. It's whether we remain members of this community," Fullerton said.

Mayor Manny Diaz says zero murders in October is partly a result of good leadership at the police department and dedicated officers. "Here we are in a major city in America in a very difficult economic period and we were able to go over a month--my hats off to the men and women who risk their lives every day," Diaz told CBS4 Reporter Sharrie Williams.

In reality, the City of Miami has gone without a murder for 35 days; the last homicide in the city was September 26th when Demetrius Sherman, 26, was shot to death in Overtown.

Many describe the fact that October came and went with no murders in the city as amazing. But most agree it will be even more amazing if the statistic could become the norm. "It's nice. It's nice to know things maybe are starting to work and that this may be a nice home to raise a family," Fullerton said.

The Miami Police Department reports there have been 55 homicides in the city this year compared to 87 overall last year.

http://cbs4.com/local/miami.homicide.mu ... 54445.html
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It doesn't say anything about people being lined up to vote for Obama having anything to do with it.