A recent study examines the effects of a 2005 Executive Order in Iowa that automatically restored voting rights to former felons who had completed their sentence. Before 2005, persons with felony convictions had to apply to the Governor to have their voting rights restored. Since the Executive Order was enacted, an estimated 100,000 Iowa ex-felons... read more
The Florida Parole Commission released a new study showing that an ex-offender whose civil rights have been restored is much less likely to return to prison than others in the released prisoner population. Of the 30,672 former Florida felons that had their voting rights restored in 2009 and 2010, about 11% ended up back in custody. The recidivism rate... read more
Felon disenfranchisement has received a lot of press this year, bringing the issue a bit of celebrity. In January, a three-judge appellate panel applied the federal Voting Rights Act to Washington’s felon disenfranchisement law, overturning a state law that bars felons in prison and under community supervision from voting. However, in October a full... read more
(WA SOS blog, NY Times) The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown out Washington’s longstanding ban on voting by felons. The surprise 2-1 ruling comes in a case brought in U.S. District Court in Eastern Washington almost 14 years ago by Muhammad Shabazz Farrakhan and three other black inmates, and by a Native American and a Latino inmate. The inmates... read more
(Photo- Brennan Center for Justice) My First Vote, a new publication from the Brennan Center for Justice, is a compilation of stories from people across the country who voted for the first time in November 2008 after having lost, and then regained, their right to vote following a criminal conviction. Here’s an excerpt: I’ve been battling substance... read more
From Votelaw blog: State law finally would have a definitive list of 70 felonies that disqualify from voting people convicted of the crimes, if a bill cleared by a legislative panel Wednesday becomes law. Alabama’s constitution disqualifies from voting anyone convicted of a “felony involving moral turpitude.” But state law has no comprehensive... read more
The Washington Post has this story on Reggie Mitchell, a leader of a disparate group of grass-roots Democrats and civil rights activists who are trying to register tens of thousands of newly eligible felons. read more
This comprehensive survey by Margaret Colgate Love describes for each United States jurisdiction the laws and practices relating to restoration of rights and obtaining relief from the collateral disabilities and penalties that accompany a criminal conviction. It is the first-of-its-kind, and it illustrates the extraordinary variety and complexity of... read more
On 7/2/2008, former State Rep. Erik R. Fleming, along with the ACLU and NAACP hosted the 4th Annual Mississippi Voter Registration Day. The purpose of the event is to make sure that individuals with felony convictions understand their voting rights. According to national surveys, more than 140,000 Mississippians have lost their voting rights as a result... read more
On PBS tomorrow at 10 p.m., POV will broadcast “Election Day,” a film by Katy Chevigny that combines 11 stories – shot simultaneously on November 2, 2004, from dawn until long past midnight – into one. A segment of the documentary highlights felon disenfranchisement with formerly incarcerated New York City resident Leon Batts... read more
Civic and social organizations are teaming with Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to try to add thousands of nonviolent offenders to the voting rolls in time for the November election. The felons also would get their rights back to sit on a jury and hold public office. Virginia currently is one of only 2 states to permanently disenfranchise those with... read more
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