Should felons be allowed to vote?

[RedSLC]

Oh, and as for me, Option 2, but I also believe that, with a handful of exceptions, only violent criminals should actually be punished with prison time (thus, nonviolent felons would still be able to vote at any time).

[Hatman 🍁]

Voting is a right, not a privilege. If we allow prisoners to live, feed them, shelter them, then they should also be able to vote.  Otherwise, what's to stop a politician from throwing all of their opponents in jail so they can't vote? Oh wait, the Republicans are already doing that with Blacks...

It's probably both, and lots of rights are given up when one is in jail.

When voting becomes a privilege, then you are no longer a democracy.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Voting is a right, not a privilege. If we allow prisoners to live, feed them, shelter them, then they should also be able to vote.  Otherwise, what's to stop a politician from throwing all of their opponents in jail so they can't vote? Oh wait, the Republicans are already doing that with Blacks...

It's probably both, and lots of rights are given up when one is in jail.

When voting becomes a privilege, then you are no longer a democracy.

Up until 1920 we weren't a democracy, it seems.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Voting is a right, not a privilege. If we allow prisoners to live, feed them, shelter them, then they should also be able to vote.  Otherwise, what's to stop a politician from throwing all of their opponents in jail so they can't vote? Oh wait, the Republicans are already doing that with Blacks...

It's probably both, and lots of rights are given up when one is in jail.

When voting becomes a privilege, then you are no longer a democracy.

Up until 1920 we weren't a democracy, it seems.

Indeed.

[Hatman 🍁]

Voting is a right, not a privilege. If we allow prisoners to live, feed them, shelter them, then they should also be able to vote.  Otherwise, what's to stop a politician from throwing all of their opponents in jail so they can't vote? Oh wait, the Republicans are already doing that with Blacks...

It's probably both, and lots of rights are given up when one is in jail.

When voting becomes a privilege, then you are no longer a democracy.

Up until 1920 we weren't a democracy, it seems.

That's not even a controversial belief.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I'm still for no voting while you're in the slammer on a felony rap.  Lots of rights get placed on hold in jail....this one should as well.

[Cassius]

I'm not really sure how democracy can be defined in one particular way (after all, you *could* say that the UK isn't a democracy because it witholds the vote from prisoners), given that the concept means so many different things, both now and in a historical context. I mean, under the definition of democracy that seems to be being proposed in this thread, the very cracle of democracy, Ancient Athens, would not qualify. As for the United States prior to 1920 (or indeed, 1971, as, I believe, that was the last time when the franchise was reformed), if it wasn't a democracy, then what was it. A monarchy or oligarchy? No. Then what?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Maybe after they serve their sentence, but not before then.  After all, they gave us Al Franken.

Stop trolling and stop reposting myths that have long been debunked.  Just because you keep repeating it doesn't mean it's true.

It's probably best to just ignore trolls like Oldies.

Until I took a look at your user name and not just your avatar, I was all set to post this in the Irony Ore Mine.

[Oakvale]

After they've served their time, sure. While incarcerated? No, it's a reasonable part of criminal punishment.

I get the feeling you're becoming more American than a lot of Americans here.

Or does Ireland still do this?

I don't think we do. I know the UK does. I'm not sure why it's considered okay to temporarily deprive someone of a whole array of rights after they commit a serious crime but voting is apparently untouchable.

e: It's something I think should ideally be confined to serious/violent criminals, but my main point - that I don't have a problem with restricting the franchise from certain incarcerated criminals as one of the many rights they forfeit, stands.

[Lief 🗽]

I don't really feel strongly about voting rights while imprisoned (there are arguments on both sides that I find compelling, but at the end of the day, there is a long list of conditions of confinement that need to be dramatically improved, with not being able to vote close to bottom in importance), but they should definitely have full voting rights once they're released.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I don't really feel strongly about voting rights while imprisoned (there are arguments on both sides that I find compelling, but at the end of the day, there is a long list of conditions of confinement that need to be dramatically improved, with not being able to vote close to bottom in importance), but they should definitely have full voting rights once they're released.

I don't agree with you often, but your on the money here.

[SWE]

Voting is a right, not a privilege. If we allow prisoners to live, feed them, shelter them, then they should also be able to vote.  Otherwise, what's to stop a politician from throwing all of their opponents in jail so they can't vote? Oh wait, the Republicans are already doing that with Blacks...

It's probably both, and lots of rights are given up when one is in jail.

When voting becomes a privilege, then you are no longer a democracy.

Up until 1920 we weren't a democracy, it seems.

No, we weren't. Glad to see you agree.

[Goldwater]

Option 2.

[Hatman 🍁]

I'm still for no voting while you're in the slammer on a felony rap.  Lots of rights get placed on hold in jail....this one should as well.

The right to vote is much more sacrosanct than the other rights that are put on hold. I'd put it up there with the right to life.

[Marnetmar]

Depends on the felony.

[muon2]

I'm still for no voting while you're in the slammer on a felony rap.  Lots of rights get placed on hold in jail....this one should as well.

The right to vote is much more sacrosanct than the other rights that are put on hold. I'd put it up there with the right to life.

That seems pretty extreme. If convicted felons were asked if they would rather have their right to liberty of movement (free of prison) or their right to vote, I have a hard time thinking that many would choose the latter.

[Ebowed]

Maine and Vermont let incarcerated felons vote.  There don't appear to be any problems.  The rest of the country should restore the franchise, too.

[politicallefty]

I'm leaning heavily towards option 1, but I can see the argument for option 2. I think permanent disenfranchisement (option 3) is indefensible, except perhaps for electoral crimes.

The reason I have for not wanting felons to vote while in jail or on probation is that their situation makes them vulnerable into being pressured into voting the "right" way and not because felons are unworthy of the franchise.

I thought of that as well, but can't that be remedied by having strict regulations in place that ensure the absolute right to a secret ballot?

[TDAS04]

Somewhat conflicted between options one and two.  Certainly, they should not be permanently barred from voting.  There are a number of reasons, but the biggest I think is that many things that are felonies shouldn't be felonies.

[Hatman 🍁]

I'm still for no voting while you're in the slammer on a felony rap.  Lots of rights get placed on hold in jail....this one should as well.

The right to vote is much more sacrosanct than the other rights that are put on hold. I'd put it up there with the right to life.

That seems pretty extreme. If convicted felons were asked if they would rather have their right to liberty of movement (free of prison) or their right to vote, I have a hard time thinking that many would choose the latter.

Just because someone wants something more than something else doesn't make that desire more of a right than the other. I'm sure many felons would rather have the right to commit crimes than the right to vote too.

And I just want to point out that in Canada, all prisoners have the right to vote, and we're doing just fine.

[TNF]

All persons over the age of 16 should be allowed to vote, whether incarcerated or not. All restrictions placed upon persons who have served their time should be abolished the minute they leave prison, with few exceptions (such as in the case of child abusers, and while I don't support sex offender registries, I do support preventing known child abusers from working with children).

Prisoners should be allowed to vote, as well as to organize unions and collectively bargain over their conditions, with the ultimate end goal of abolishing prisons altogether in favor of restorative justice and/or ostracism if the crime is awful enough.

[politicus]

Prisoners should be allowed to vote, as well as to organize unions and collectively bargain over their conditions, with the ultimate end goal of abolishing prisons altogether in favor of restorative justice and/or ostracism if the crime is awful enough.

How would that function?

[morgieb]

Either 1 or 2. Don't mind the way we do it (i.e. still keep voting rights if in prison for less than 3 years, any longer and you are disenfranchised until you are released), but I don't feel comfortable with the thought of disenfranchisement for any reason.

[Ebowed]

Prisoners should be allowed to vote, as well as to organize unions and collectively bargain over their conditions, with the ultimate end goal of abolishing prisons altogether in favor of restorative justice and/or ostracism if the crime is awful enough.

How would that function?

I'm also curious as to what either of those alternatives would entail.

[Never]

Depends on the felony.

My thoughts exactly.

I'm leaning towards Option 2. There is no reason whatsoever for people who have been convicted of crimes to have a say in who gets elected, but if a felon is released, that would mean our legal system views them as fit to be free again, and it would only make sense for released felons to be fully assimilated back into society, which would include the right to vote.