conviction/voting?

Question

is it true that if you have a felony conviction in the united states, you can't vote?

if this is true, please explain.

Answer 1

I don't know if it's true. I'm not a US citizen. But if they don't take away your citizenship because you are convicted, a country that is so eager to promote democracy should allow all its citizens to vote.

Answer 2

It's by state, not nationally.

48 states limit the rights of ex-felons to vote, either temporarily or permanently. The justification comes from an obscure line in the 14th Amendment, relating back to just after the Civil War.

The line says that if a state denies people the equal right to vote, that state will lose some of its representation in Congress as a penalty. However, the line makes an exception for "participation in rebellion, or other crime". Meaning that someone in the exception (a felon) can be denied the right to vote without losing representation in Congress.

The states reasoned that if the Constitution itself made the exception for denying felons the right to vote, Congress couldn't prohibit the states from denying felons the right to vote. That argument won, and states got to disenfranchise felons.

Answer 3

I do believe that the right to vote is still available regardless of any felony committed. I feel that there shouldn't be a law that prohibits anyone, regardless of the circumstance, to have an equal and unbias say as to their personal freedom and representation.

Answer 4

That is a state law, because some states give ex felons the right to vote.

Answer 5

yup
whats there to explain
a felony conviction wipes out a criminals right to vote as another form of punishment

Answer 6

it depends on what state u live

Answer 7

It is part of the punishment.

Answer 8

What they said!

Answer 9

what did you do?