Locked Up and Locked Out: Convictions and Voting Rights

If you’re convicted of a felony in the United States, you lose a lot of freedoms, but what about losing the right to vote?

Voter disqualification, or disenfranchisement, refers to restricting or completely eliminating a person’s right to vote. By some estimates, one out of every 44 voting-age citizens has lost the right to vote due to a current or previous felony conviction.

State laws differ on if and how long a person loses their right to vote: the majority of states eliminate the right for the duration of imprisonment, 11 restrict it for life for some crimes, and 3 jurisdictions, Washington D.C., Maine, and Vermont, never restrict it.

Supporters of the practice feel that voting is a privilege and losing it is an appropriate consequence, especially for those convicted of severe crimes. Many who oppose it consider the practice undemocratic, while others ask whether it’s fair, especially when it’s restricted even after someone has already served their sentence.

In this meeting, we’ll discuss:

• How do these laws affect society?
• Are there specific crimes that you think should result in voting restrictions?
• Do your views on voter restriction differ depending on whether an individual is currently serving their sentence? Why or why not?

Join the Crossing Party Lines discussion and have a voice in our Nation’s Conversation! People of all views are welcomed, appreciated, and heard.

Helpful pre-reads:

• State Approaches
  https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx
• Arguments For and Against
  https://felonvoting.procon.org/top-10-pro-con-arguments/

Sign up at this event’s link or at a chapter near you:
– Atlanta, GA: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-GA-Atlanta
– Austin, TX: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-TX-Austin
– Chicago, IL: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-IL-Chicago
– Columbus, OH: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-OH-Columbus
– Mesa, AZ: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-AZ-Mesa
– New York City: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-NY
– Portland, OR: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines
– Raleigh, NC: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-NC-Raleigh
– San Francisco Bay Area: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-CA-SanFrancisco
– Southern Oregon: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-OR-Medford

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