Should felonies be able to vote?

Answer 1

My vote is no on that one. If you're a convicted felon, that means you have committed a very serious crime against society, so as far as I'm concerned once you put your own selfish wants and desires over the rights of other American citizens and you have been found guilty of a crime after receiving your rights to due process of law, your rights should be forfeited. Look at it this way -- you didn't care about anyone else's rights, so why should anyone else care about yours?

Answer 2

I think so. At the very least they should be able to after a certain period of time passes. It is remarkable if you look at the statistics, some states have disenfranchised as much as 20% of their African-American populations. I think this is an example of the powerful trying to protect their position in the political system. There are so many different levels of felonies - all criminals are not created equally, and even the worst criminals may regret and learn from their crimes.

Answer 3

Yes. Felons, once they are out of the pen, have paid their debt to society and should have all the rights and prerogatives allowed ordinary citizens. The fact they are registered as felons is going to give them enough grief as it is (like for finding most decent jobs) without also taking away their political rights.

Plus, if you confine them to a vote-less strata of second rate citizens, and they have no way to make themselves heard by the normal channels, it will probably encourage them to revert to crime again... heck, there's no way the punishment will stop, so why not do it again?

I'm not saying that they should be allowed to vote while in prison, though. You don't have civic rights while in there. And of course, electoral fraud and similar crimes should have a primary punishment of having the perp barred from engaging in political activities of any kind... but that's a special case.

Answer 4

Technically in the US Constitution the only requirement is that you are a natural born citizen of legal voting age.
Taking away someones right to vote is a civil rights violation and it happens a hundred thousand times a day.

Answer 5

Illegal aliens are able to vote...why not people with felonies?

Answer 6

While they are in prison? No. Once they're out? Yes.

See, the whole point of sending a person to prison is to remove them from society. But once they leave prison, they rejoin society. Which means they vote.

Answer 7

I don't see why not, they are still American citizens. What does voting have to do with them endangering others? ♥

Answer 8

NOT THE ACTUAL "FELONIES"

BUT SURE I THINK MOST REPUBLICANS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO VOTE.

JUST NOT COLLECT THEM(ESPECIALLY IN FLORIDA)

Answer 9

Yes.

Answer 10

I think you mean felons, and yes they should. They are still citizens of this country. But then I also think socially competent and non-violent criminals should be subject to mandatory draft.