An estimated 5.85 million people (as of 2010) with a felony conviction are barred from voting in elections - a condition known as disenfranchisement. Each state has its own laws on disenfranchisement. While Vermont and Maine allow felons to vote while in prison, nine other states permanently restrict certain felons from voting.

Proponents of felon re-enfranchisement say that felons who have paid their debt to society by completing their sentences should have all of their rights and privileges restored. They argue that efforts to block ex-felons from voting are unfair, undemocratic, and politically or racially motivated.

Opponents say felon voting restrictions are consistent with other voting limitations such as age, residency, sanity, etc., and other felon restrictions such as no guns for violent offenders and no sex offenders near schools. They say that convicted felons have demonstrated poor judgment and should not be trusted with a vote.

In the uk, people currently in prison can't vote. The European Court of human rights says that it breaches their human rights and they have to get a vote. So far there is deadlock on that issue. I do think while in jail you should have no vote (as well as some other restrictions).
You can vote once you are released though, and I kind of support that. The idea is they should be rehabilitated.
Whether they are or not is up for debate, but they have served their time and are entitled to a fresh start.
There are a lot of voters out there who have shown poor judgement. That isn't a cue to stop them from voting.
Everyone has shown poor judgement at some point. Refusing to forget it just agrovates the problem. How can you assimilate into society when you are treated as lesser.
When you are sentenced, you pay the specified price. After that, no more.

I agree with what thenumberone said
Also though, I think restricting felons is ridiculous because of the increasing number of people arrested on felonies each year.
It's getting easier and easier to end up in jail
As well, baring them from voting stops them from having any effect on the system that they were a part of.
No one knows about prisoners rights like a former prisoner.

>A person doing drugs is arrested

>That person is sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a felony charge

>That person serves his 10 years

>That person's state/city/whatever imposes a new bill that'll make that said drug legal

>That person who has a first hand experience is unable to vote for or against the bill due to being a former felon.

Cradily is love : just curious here id like to ask you a few questions. this is a subject i find rather interesting and i don't have a lot of information.

what drug are you referring to? theres only one i could think of they would make legal in the US at least and thats marijuana. is it a felony for just having certin drugs or is it with intent to distribute that will get you jail time? does it really care that harsh of a prison sentence for first time offenders? i say first time offenders because if you already had prior charges chances are they were felonies to get you that kind of jail time. if simple possession carried such are harsh sentence would they really ever consider making it legal?

like i said i dont know wich drug you refer to or what country or state or whatever you refer to. i am very interested in your response.

thanks!

a-sassy-black-lady :
I dont think he was referencing any particular drug.
Simply making a point that wrong decisions actually give a person valid insight into the effects of said drug etc.

thenumberone : i could see your point but drug use isn't as black and white as that. diffrent drugs have different long term effects on the user. for example a person who uses cocaine for a period of time can become extremely paranoid and depressed even after they quit using this side effect can last the rest of there lives. as well as mental withdrawals and cravings for the drug that can also last for the rest of there lives. wouldn't that effect there decision making? where as some one who has a long term use of a less intense drug such as marijuana the user could just but down the joint one day and never smoke again with absolutely no long lasting side effects. also in general the people that someone associates with any drug obtaining it using it what ever. could also have a big effect on a way a person thinks and acts the type of friends they start making the diffrent people the hang around with can also have an effect even after imprisonment or rehabilitation of any kind. for example dealing with violent drug dealers or using with people that steal to get a fix. also the environment that they will now find themselves a drug addict can't usually afford to live in a nice neighborhood or even get a good job because of drug tests. this all effects a persons method of thinking permanently. thats why i was so interested in his response mentioning drugs.



note: i am not for or against felons having the right to vote. i am simply interested in discussing every aspect of this topic as i said thats why i was intrested when he mentioned a specific thing like drugs.

a-sassy-black-lady : I think they should be allowed to vote, but only if they can prove that their judgement is clear enough to make an informed decision. For instance, perhaps we should give them and IQ test, and if they cannot score higher than a certain set passing level, then they should be barred from voting.

No they should not be allowed to vote. They have already shown that they have no regard for society. Why should they have the right, then, to decide on what the rest of civilized society gains, loses, etc...

My two cents.

Yes they should be allowed to vote. Having a life ban from voting is harsh, someone can do something really dumb at 19 and then in their late 20's not be able to do anything about it, no matter how much they could have changed.  3 strikes laws exists, so why not for this too?

Accountability. 

Accountability.

Accountability.

Stop blaming others and making excuses.

YOU are responsible for your actions, no one else. 

edb007th :
So you have never done something wrong or shown poor judgement? Doubtfull.

That wasn't my point. 

When (and I say when) I have messed up in my life, done something wrong, etc, I accepted the results. I have done so my entire life. 

I can say that I am fallible. I can say that I expect to get what I give.

What lesson is learned when you err with no result. 

What lesson is learned when you KNOW something is against the law, yet you do that act and receive no punishment.

We all know that it is RARE INDEED that someone who is convicted of a crime, a FELONY no less, hasn't been in the business of committing crimes in the past. 

It is not common  occurrence  that someone gets arrested and convicted of a felony after their first mistake. Usually, if you mess up that bad, you realize your mistake, plea to a misdemeanor, and take your lumps. 

A Felony is a MAJOR crime. We're not talking about smoking weed (burning in public) or DWI (no injury). Felons are those convicted of crimes like RAPE, MURDER, SALE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE (don't start whining about legalization, that's for another topic...), BURGLARY, ASSAULT with SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY, etc...


This question was about FELONS LOSING THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE, not if I am without sin, which I am not. Not by a long shot. 

I appreciate your view. We will agree to disagree. 

They should be allowed to vote. I don't believe in cruel, unusual, unlimited punishments. A sentence served is a sentence served. Preventing them from voting messes with thier chance of becoming a contributing member of society. And as was already pointed out, enables oppression.

The only merit I can see in the arguement that they should lose the right is in satisfying people's bloodthirst for revenge. And to create second class citizens for the Holier than thou to look down on.

What possible harm can a felon do by voting? Are you worried that Obama will be re elected? We are well past the days when smaller communities concentrated power in the hands of a few voters. Today there are millions of us and we do not need people walking around who technically aren't a part of democracy.