felonvoting.procon.orgFelon Voting - ProCon.org

<![endif]--> P ROS & C ONS OF C URRENT I SSUES. R ELIABLE. N ONPARTISAN. E MPOWERING. Menu Toggle navigation HOME FELON VOTING - MENU FELON VOTING - HOME GET STARTED Top Pro & Con Quotes Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments Historical Timeline PROS & CONS BY CATEGORY CORE QUESTION Felon, Felony, & Disenfranchisement Defined Felon Population Statistics Elections & Politics Race US Constitution Voting Rights Act Federal & State Law International Law Philosophical Questions Policy-Oriented Questions RECOMMENDED Did You Know? State Felon Voting Laws Number of People by State Who Cannot Vote Due to a Felony Conviction Video: Should felons who have completed their sentence (incarceration, probation, and parole) be allowed to vote? Incarcerated Felon Population by Type of Crime Committed Jail, Prison, Parole, and Probation Populations in the US International Comparison of Felon Voting Laws Major Legal Cases Affecting Felon Voting Opinion Polls/Surveys DIG DEEPER Source Biographies Site Map Notices Archive Glossary Is felon disenfranchisement unconstitutional? 2016 Presidential Candidates' Positions on Felon Voting State Felon Disenfranchisement Totals, 2010 State Felon Disenfranchisement Totals, 2004 Rhode Island Voters Ease Felon Voting Restrictions Washington's Supreme Court Rules on Felon Voting US Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) Convicted; May Lose Ability to Vote Map of State Felon Voting Laws ISSUES WE COVER MOST POPULAR 2020 Presidential Election Medical Marijuana Gun Control Homework Animal Testing Death Penalty School Uniforms Drinking Age - Lower It? Abortion Zoos Illegal Immigration HEALTH & MEDICINE Medical Marijuana Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide Vaping E-Cigarettes Vaccines for Kids Milk - Is It Healthy? 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Debate Topics Testimonials Donors & Sponsors GET INVOLVED ProCon.org Events Suggest a Topic Cite This Page Share on Social Media Volunteers / Interns Join ABOUT US ABOUT US HOW WE WORK WATCH OUR VIDEOS FAQS METRICS EVENTS TRAFFIC TESTIMONIALS JOIN DONORS & SPONSORS CONTACT US TEACHERS' CORNER HOME | FAQS | METRICS | TRAFFIC | TESTIMONIALS | DONORS & SPONSORS | CONTACT US MORE ISSUES ABOUT US JOIN WATCH OUR VIDEOS TEACHERS' CORNER $0.99 PER MONTH FELON VOTING Should Felons Who Have Completed Their Sentence (Incarceration, Probation, and Parole) Be Allowed to Vote? An estimated 6.1 million people with a felony conviction are barred from voting in elections - a condition known as disenfranchisement. Each state has its own laws on disenfranchisement that range from allowing people with felony convictions to vote from prison to restoring voting rights after completion of some or all of the sentence to banning former felons from voting permanently. Proponents of felon re-enfranchisement say that felons who have paid their debt to society by completing their sentences should have all of their rights and privileges restored. They argue that efforts to block ex-felons from voting are unfair, undemocratic, and politically or racially motivated. Opponents say felon voting restrictions are consistent with other voting limitations such as age, residency, sanity, etc., and other felon restrictions such as no guns for violent offenders and no sex offenders near schools. They say that convicted felons have demonstrated poor judgment and should not be trusted with a vote. PROS & CONS BY CATEGORY CORE QUESTION Should Felons Who Have Completed Their Sentence (Incarceration, Probation, and Parole) Be Allowed to Vote? Felon, Felony, & Disenfranchisement Defined What Is a Felon and What Is a Felony? What Is Disenfranchisement? Felon Population Statistics What Is the Breakdown of the Felon Population by the Type of Crime Committed? How Are Prisoners Accounted for in Residency Counts for Voting and Congressional District Representation? Other Than Voting, What Other Privileges/Rights Do Felons Lose? Elections & Politics Are Felons More Likely to Vote for Democrats over Republicans? Did Florida's Felon Disenfranchisement Laws Cause Al Gore to Lose the 2000 Presidential Elections? Other Than Felons, Who Else Can Be Prevented from Voting? Would Re-Enfranchised Felons, Voting as a Bloc, Subvert Laws Protecting Society? Race Are Felon Disenfranchisement Laws a Form of Racial Discrimination? US Constitution What Does the US Constitution Say about Voting and Punishment? Is Felon Disenfranchisement Unconstitutional? Voting Rights Act What Is Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA)? Does Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) Apply to Felon Disenfranchisement Laws? Federal & State Law How Do US Felon Disenfranchisement Laws Vary by State? Does the US Congress Have Authority to Legislate Felon Enfranchisement in Federal Elections? Are Felons on Probation or Parole Considered to Be Still Serving Their Term of Imprisonment? International Law How Do US Felon Disenfranchisement Laws Compare to Those of Other Countries? Philosophical Questions Is Voting a Privilege and Not a Right? Does the "Social Contract" Theory Present a Valid Reason for Felon Disenfranchisement? Does the Argument of 'No Taxation Without Representation' Justify Giving Felons the Vote? Should Felons Lose Their Ability to Vote in Elections Because Society Can No Longer Trust Them or Their Judgment? Policy-Oriented Questions Should Felons Be Permitted to Vote while in Prison? Should Felons out of Prison but under Judicial Supervision (i.e. Parole or Probation) Regain Their Ability to Vote? Should Felons Automatically Regain the Vote after Their Full Sentence (Including Probation/Parole) Is Served? Should Felons Have to Pay All Fines, Fees, and Restitutions Related to Their Conviction before Regaining Their Vote? People who view this page may also like: Number of People by State Who Cannot Vote Due to a Felony Conviction States with the Death Penalty and States with Death Penalty Bans US Executions by Race, Crime, Method, Age, Gender, State, and Year Notices for Felon Voting and Other ProCon.org Information (archived after...