Washington: AN estimated 1.5 million former convicts are unable to vote in 14 states around the country because of state policies that make it cumbersome, confusing and difficult for them to return to voter rolls after completing their sentences, according to a study released last week.
The question of whether and how former convicts should be allowed to vote has generated a growing nationwide debate in recent month's. The Sentencing Project said its study was the first to survey how frequently felons were denied voting rights in states with restrictive policies. It examined 14 states that do NOT automatically restore voting rights to felons after they have complete their sentences. Those states are ALabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
The study found that Florida, with 48,000 felons returned to voting ranks, was the only state where a significant number had their voting rights restored, but only after extended court battles there- The report also blamed long and confusing waiting periods before a felon can seek eligibility, poor statistic's in the records system and arbitrary standards.
Andrea |