Voting Rights for Citizens with Felony Convictions

Felon disfranchisement is the practice of denying people with felony convictions the right to vote. Forty-eight states impose some voting restrictions on people with felony convictions, ranging from a prohibition from voting while incarcerated to a virtual lifetime ban. In 2004, these laws were responsible for taking the right to vote away from 5.3 million Americans with felony convictions.

No other Western democracy disfranchises so many of its citizens. The United States is the only democracy in the world that takes the vote away from citizens who have completed their sentences. Compounding the problem, state corrections authorities and elections officials rarely advise people with felony convictions about their voting rights, and when they do, they often distribute unclear and inaccurate information.

Fortunately, most Americans agree that these outdated laws are contrary to our fundamental values of fairness and democratic participation. As the United States continues its policy of exporting democracy, we encourage advocates, policymakers, opinion leaders, and all who value broad civic participation to join us in the campaign to secure voting rights for all.