• Why Can't Felons Vote? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts.
By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. If you take a sick day off of work without being actually sick, you’ve committed felony. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. It started with “felons can’t vote,” but then the definition of felony was expanded to things like “loitering” and “littering,” so cops could arrest black people for standing around or dropping a cigarette butt on the ground, and then those black people couldn’t vote. Seems like a strange punishment, no? Proponents have argued that persons who commit felonies have broken the social contract, and have thereby given up their right to participate in a civil society. Should you be prevented from voting? Voting rights for convicted felons vary substantially from state to state. They are still citizens and pay taxes, so denying their right to vote means that either A.
Why not let prisoners vote — and … As of August 2020, in 48 states (as well as Washington, D.C.), convicted felons could not vote while incarcerated, but could regain the right to vote upon their release or at some point thereafter. — elected officials would be “fine-tun[ing] the quality of the electorate.” We rely on readers like you to uphold a free press. By Kevin Krajick. The simple answer to your question is that felons can’t vote is because voting is a civil right and you forfeit certain rights, temporarily anyway, when convicted of a serious crime. This content is currently not available in your region. It is a built in part of the punishment system. The idea is that they have forfeited the right to voice an opinion on creating laws by breaking them. It's not nearly the "right" you imagine it to be, but a privilege bestowed on responsible citizenry. Convicted felons are even allowed to vote from behind prison bars in some states. I would say something like losing driving privileges, would make more sense, but losing the right to vote seems random. Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. I have another question, it mostly sparks because I'm watching prison documentaries right now: Where is the motivation for politicians to help reform prisons knowing that the people they are helping won't be able to vote for them when/if they get out? Then it was "males minus felons" etc etc on to today where it's "all women over 18 and men who have signed up for the draft minus felons". It started with “felons can’t vote,” but then the definition of felony was expanded to things like “loitering” and “littering,” so cops could arrest black people for standing around or dropping a cigarette butt on the ground, and then those black people couldn’t vote. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. In many States part of their punishment for violating the law is the permanent removal of the right to vote. The right to vote is considered one of the most sacred and fundamental tenets of American democracy. You figure that, after all, it's something everyone does every now and then.
Proponents will tell you that stripping convicted felons of their right to vote is a just form of punishment for committing a crime. Couldn’t tell you. Obviously not meant to be a blanket statement to all felonies, but we all can agree that the laws in place are not all perfect. Personally, I think it's dangerous to allow a goverment to disenfranchise a voter by locking them up. It doesn't appear in any feeds, and anyone with a direct link to it will see a message like this one. To vote in U.S. elections, you must be a U.S. citizen, turn 18 on or before Election Day, and meet your state’s residency and registration requirements.
Proponents will tell you that stripping convicted felons of their right to vote is a just form of punishment for committing a crime. Explain Like I'm Five is the best forum and archive on the internet for layperson-friendly explanations. Felony disenfranchisement is one among the collateral consequences of criminal conviction and the loss of rights due to conviction for criminal offense. Press J to jump to the feed. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the explainlikeimfive community. Voter disenfranchisement for felons … But the full story, as always, is more complex. As of 2018, 15 states and the District of Columbia restore voting rights to felons upon release from prison. Why Can't Ex-Felons Vote?
The penal system doesnt care about the re-integration of criminals back into society or B. is punishing people for crimes that it assumes they will commit. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Kind of a silly argument in this day and age considering most of the population breaks the law in some fashion or another on a daily basis. Would he let felons still in prison vote, the way Maine and Vermont do? Opponents will tell you that stripping convicted felons of their right to vote is a means to systemically disenfranchise millions of potential voters who might vote against the interests of the people in power who passed the law in the first place, in particular to prevent poor people and people of color (the groups most likely to be convicted of a felony) from having equal political power as more privileged groups of … Voter disenfranchisement for felons depends on particular state laws. And that's why we have jury trials: so the innocent can be exonerated. More posts from the NoStupidQuestions community, Press J to jump to the feed. See our, Read a limited number of articles each month, You consent to the use of cookies and tracking by us and third parties to provide you with personalized ads, Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com on any device, Unlimited access to all Washington Post apps, No on-site advertising or third-party ad tracking. That's about 2.5 percent of the total U.S. voting-age population – 1 of every 40 adults – that can't vote because of a current or previous felony conviction, according to recent analysis by the Sentencing Project, a criminal justice reform group. In the US, this system is largely the result of... wait for it... big surprise coming... racism! But the growing tide against felon disenfranchisement raises a related question: Why disenfranchise felons at all? Pull up a chair and light a cigar.
You also agree to our Terms of Service. because american politicians benefit from having as few people as possible vote. Maybe the laws in place need to change and those felons deserve representation. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Remember also that men who don't sign up for the selective service (draft) cannot register to vote, either. Most of this population is not currently incarcerated. Some ex-felons don't know if they have the right to vote because of changes to laws over the years. Opponents will tell you that stripping convicted felons of their right to vote is a means to systemically disenfranchise millions of potential voters who might vote against the interests of the people in power who passed the law in the first place, in particular to prevent poor people and people of color (the groups most likely to be convicted of a felony) from having equal political power as more privileged groups of people, and thereby tilting democracy in favor of the interests of wealthier people and of white people. Likewise, Alabama, which had denied rights for the vague offense of … Once they've served their time, punishing them further by taking away a basic right isn't just unfair to them; it's bad for us • Sue Up or Shut Up! Maybe so, since otherwise — horrors! A felony is a serious crime, typically requiring such a reckless disregard for society as a whole that anyone who commits a felony has demonstrated their inability to participate in governance. They can, in many countries - its heavily restricted in the US, which is probably at the root of your question. The seats are incredible and you know this opportunity won't come again any time soon, so you decide to call in sick to work on Wednesday morning. August 18, 2004. Don't Panic! Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. You did not know, however, that you have just committed a "scheme or artifice to defraud" the company to their "intangible right to your "honest services" — arguably a federal crime.”. Silverglate even claims that the average American does something about three times a day that could be turned into a federal crime by an enterprising or overreaching prosecutor... [For example,] your best friend calls you on a Tuesday night and says he won two tickets to see your favorite baseball team play on Wednesday.
also because they dehumanize felons for whatever reason. Why it continues today? On Election Day it will not matter to some 4.7 million Americans whether they are Republicans, Democrats, independents or … Couldn’t tell you. It creates a peverse and antidemocratic incentive to incarcerate those a government disagrees with. Remember, a jury is there to protect the innocent and the non-criminals against an overzealous police force or a politically motivated prosecution. There's an argument that there are too many felonies these days (like felony possession of pot), and I'd say that camp makes a bunch of great arguments, but philosophically the concept of a felony is a good one. Why it continues today? It believes that if the 32,000 felons could vote, they could swing the election, even in a state with nearly 15 million registered voters.
We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. The definition used to be "land owning males minus felons" are responsible. You actually nailed it. Here are five reasons ex-felons can't vote: 1.
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