5 controversial voting laws in the US, from Minnesota's vouching system to noncitizen voting
5. Voting rights for felons
Maine and Vermont are the only states that don't strip voting rights from convicted felons while they are incarcerated. Felonious inmates in both states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, can vote by an absentee ballot tied to their prior residence, though there is momentum in other states such as Illinois, Maryland and Oregon to follow their lead by expanding voting rights to people serving a felony-level sentence.
According to data reported by The Sentencing Project, almost three quarters (73%) of incarcerated survey respondents in Maine and Vermont said that voting during their incarceration is important to them; nearly half (49%) said that they didn't how to vote at their facility.
Voting rights for incarcerated felons are automatically restored upon completion of their sentence in 23 states, while 15 states require them to complete additional conditions, such as probation or parole, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 10 states, certain felony convictions can potentially disenfranchise citizens indefinitely.
Legislation regarding such policies has been advanced or enacted in at least eight states this year, and Virginia voters will decide next week whether to amend their state constitution to automatically restore voting rights to felons, according to Stateline.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
