Earlier this year, the Sentencing Project gave an update on felon disenfranchisement in the United States. Currently, 5.85 million Americans are prohibited from voting due to laws that disenfranchise citizens convicted of felony offenses. Only two states–Maine and Vermont–do not restrict the voting rights of anyone with a felony conviction, even while in prison. However, read more
As 2013 ends, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what we learned this year. This summer, Nonprofit VOTE released a two-part report, Can Nonprofits Increase Voting Among Their Clients, Constituents, and Staff? An Evaluation of the Track the Vote Program. While Part I of the report showcases the impact of nonprofit voter engagement on read more
A recent study examines the effects of a 2005 Executive Order in Iowa that automatically restored voting rights to former felons who had completed their sentence. Before 2005, persons with felony convictions had to apply to the Governor to have their voting rights restored. Since the Executive Order was enacted, an estimated 100,000 Iowa ex-felons read more
Earlier this month, the Brennan Center published a new report on “Voting Law Changes in 2012” that details and analyzes the bills that have been proposed and passed since the beginning of this year. Most have made it much more difficult for citizens to both register and vote. Restrictions have come in many forms, including: read more
The Florida Parole Commission released a new study showing that an ex-offender whose civil rights have been restored is much less likely to return to prison than others in the released prisoner population. Of the 30,672 former Florida felons that had their voting rights restored in 2009 and 2010, about 11% ended up back in read more
Last week, Florida Governor Rick Scott reversed a 2007 decision made by then-Governor Charlie Crist that automatically restored voting rights to nonviolent ex-offenders. Unfortunately, ex-offenders in Florida will once again face high hurdles in order to have their rights restored. Sound familiar? Probably because this is reminiscent of an executive order made by Iowa Governor read more
This week, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad issued executive order 70, rescinding former Governor Tom Vilsack’s 2005 order that automatically restored voting rights to felons who had served their jail time. Since Governor Vilsack’s executive order was enacted, an estimated 100,000 Iowa ex-felons have had their voting rights restored. However, under Governor Branstad, felons will once read more
Felon disenfranchisement has received a lot of press this year, bringing the issue a bit of celebrity. In January, a three-judge appellate panel applied the federal Voting Rights Act to Washington’s felon disenfranchisement law, overturning a state law that bars felons in prison and under community supervision from voting. However, in October a full sitting read more
