Holder urges states of lift bans on felons voting

[Miles]

Article.

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They must want to make sure Al Franken is reelected.

[Link]

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Nooooo.

[MaxQue]

Good, since that's probably a violation of the constitution (privation of the right of vote and unusual punishment). A ban on voting during the prison term or a fixed period of time after is okay, but denying a 70 yo person because of a drug infractions 50 years ago is clearly excessive and ought to be unconstituonnal.

[Representative Joe Mad]

Good.  I hope this goes somewhere.

[publicunofficial]

Taking away felon's right to vote is practically a holdover from the era of poll taxes and literacy tests. I support this move.

[Badger]

A good idea.

[Franzl]

There's no good reason to restrict the right to vote at all, including for people who are currently imprisoned.

But if that's too "radical" for the US, then at the very least, voting bans should end immediately upon release.

[morgieb]

Yes. At worst felons should be allowed to vote after they leave prison.

[greenforest32]

A despicable practice that Republicans continue to embrace.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/us/politics/holder-urges-states-to-repeal-bans-on-voting-by-felons.html

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http://wfpl.org/post/kentucky-legislators-react-us-attorney-generals-call-restore-felon-voting-rights

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[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I wonder who Manson will vote for?

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

They've already served their time. They should have their voting rights restored upon release.



This was just more of that "tough on crime" BS that didn't really do anything to crime but was all a show for suburban swing votes.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

They've already served their time. They should have their voting rights restored upon release.



This was just more of that "tough on crime" BS that didn't really do anything to crime but was all a show for suburban swing votes.

And more importantly to create a permanent underclass to even further working class influence in politics.

[krazen1211]

Booting felons off the voter rolls is expressly provided for in the Constitution. This was explicitly upheld even by the fringe liberal Burger Court in 1974.


Put another way: “It’s constitutional. Bitches.”

[SWE]

Good

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Put another way: “It’s constitutional. Bitches.”

That doesn't make it good policy.  And this is not good policy.

[Хahar 🤔]

Booting felons off the voter rolls is expressly provided for in the Constitution. This was explicitly upheld even by the fringe liberal Burger Court in 1974.


Put another way: “It’s constitutional. Bitches.”

Is anyone contesting this?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

They've already served their time. They should have their voting rights restored upon release.



This was just more of that "tough on crime" BS that didn't really do anything to crime but was all a show for suburban swing votes.

And more importantly to create a permanent underclass to even further working class influence in politics.

Please go outside... get a hobby... this shtick is getting really... bloody... old. 

[Zioneer]

Booting felons off the voter rolls is expressly provided for in the Constitution. This was explicitly upheld even by the fringe liberal Burger Court in 1974.


Put another way: “It’s constitutional. Bitches.”

Welcome to 2014, Governor Wallace.

[Hatman 🍁]

Felons serving sentences greater than 2 years were barred from voting in Canada up until it was declared unconstitutional a few years ago. 

My opinion is, if we afford murderers and rapists the right to life, shelter, food, etc, why not also extend the equally inalienable right to vote? Also consider, a huge majority of incarcerated Americans are in jail due to drug offenses, and are disproportionately minorities.

[RedSLC]

Booting felons off the voter rolls is expressly provided for in the Constitution. This was explicitly upheld even by the fringe liberal Burger Court in 1974.


Put another way: “It’s constitutional. Bitches.”

Poll taxes used to be constitutional too, you know.

[AkSaber]

Not to mention what constitutes a felony gets more and more ridiculous every year.

[pbrower2a]

It's often the prosecution and sentencing that get the unequal results. White people may be more likely to use illegal drugs, but blacks are more likely to get arrested and be sentenced for a felony. 

[politicallefty]

There's no good reason to restrict the right to vote at all, including for people who are currently imprisoned.

But if that's too "radical" for the US, then at the very least, voting bans should end immediately upon release.

I completely agree with this. I would also prefer the former, but even the latter would be a huge improvement. Florida seems to be particularly notorious for barring all ex-felons from voting. It's quite obvious which party supports such laws against the other party. Under current Florida law, the estimate is that 1/5 otherwise eligible blacks are barred from voting.

Also, I have to seriously laugh at the idea that the Burger Court was a "fringe liberal" court.

[Person Man]

There's no good reason to restrict the right to vote at all, including for people who are currently imprisoned.

But if that's too "radical" for the US, then at the very least, voting bans should end immediately upon release.

I completely agree with this. I would also prefer the former, but even the latter would be a huge improvement. Florida seems to be particularly notorious for barring all ex-felons from voting. It's quite obvious which party supports such laws against the other party. Under current Florida law, the estimate is that 1/5 otherwise eligible blacks are barred from voting.

Also, I have to seriously laugh at the idea that the Burger Court was a "fringe liberal" court.

The Fourteenth Amendment was generally crafted to keep ex-confederates out of the Government, not to keep common criminals from voting after they have been punished. This is one of the most ironic parts of the constitution- creating apartheid by punishing ex-slavers.