Ask anyone nearby whether ex-convicts have the right to vote, and the majority of the answers will be a definite “no.” Nationwide, citizens with a felony record are under the common misconception that they are ineligible to vote. This misconception about voting rights is perpetuated by the inconsistent literature and information online. This information, such as the resulting yield from a Google search, debates the issue of felon voter rights, but lacks explicit facts.

In actuality, ex-felons can vote in California as long as they are not currently incarcerated, on parole from a felony conviction, or convicted as mentally unstable.

As far as nation-wide, those with a felony on their record can go to Vote411.com, which is a straightforward site that unambiguously lists eligibility requirements on a state-by-state basis. The only two states that disqualify convicted felons from voting altogether are Washington state and Whyoming. Other states, such as Delaware, only passed a revised bill in 2000, granting ex-felons the right to vote with certain qualifications. Nebraska and Oklahoma both include a grace period, which is an improvement, but still a hindrance to felon voting. Nebraska, for example, has a two-year waiting period after release before gaining eligibility to vote. Oklahoma, in a relatively stricter stance, maintains a policy that matches the grace period to that of the criminal sentence.

Awareness of such knowledge is especially important in light of the approaching election, as statistics released by the Bureau of Justice in June of 2007 states that approximately 2.3 million Americans were incarcerated in US prisons at the time, higher than any other rate in the world.

With such a staggering number, ex-convicts fill a large bracket of citizens who are eligible to vote, but primarily do not due to a lack of knowledge. Moreover, minorities lead the statistics in the number of men and women incarcerated, highlighting racial disparities in imprisonment, as well as the lingering effects of felony disenfranchisement. With an African American currently running for president, knowledge of this information has the possibility to effect the election one way or the other.

The approaching 2008 ballot will also include measures specific to issues of criminal justice. California Proposition 6, also known as the Safe Neighborhood Act or The Runner Initiative, is an initiative that will appear on this upcoming 2008 California ballot. The tenets of Prop 6 include new state spending on criminal justice programs, coming from California funding that is primarily spent on education, healthcare, and other human services. Moreover, this measure also tries anyone 14 years or older with a gang-related felony as an adult, and requires those in public housing to have annual criminal background checks. Those with a criminal record would be ineligible for public housing.
This initiative is backed by Mike Reynolds, who originally wrote the Three Strikes Initiative, mandating that anyone convicted of three felonies must serve a fixed sentence of 25 years to life.

Consequently, for the upcoming 2008 election, awareness of ex-felons voting rights is historical. Taking into consideration the numbers of people with a felony on their record, the large number of minorities, and the state of the current election, ex-felons have a momentous chance to impact the election and for the election to impact them in return. A lack of knowledge should not prevent ex-felons from voting, as their voice has the power and possibility to produce change.

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States Taking Closer Look at Ex-felon Voter Rights