800,000 people worth of Voting Rights Victories in the US

...Our new publication that shows that thousands of new voters can head to the polls next month due to changes to state laws that limit voting access for people convicted of felony offenses. Since 1997, 800,000 persons have regained the right to vote as a result of felony disenfranchisement reform in 23 states, according to Expanding the Vote: State Felony Disenfranchisement Reform 1997-2010.

The report has found that:

* Nine states either repealed or amended lifetime disenfranchisement laws;

* Three states expanded voting rights to persons under community supervision (probation and parole);

* Eight states eased the restoration process for persons seeking to have their right to vote restored after completing sentence; and

* Three states improved data and information sharing.

State legislation and/or litigation efforts have impacted state disenfranchisement policies by way of amending current laws, easing restoration policies, and lifting bans on probationers or parolees.

Reforms highlighted in the report include:

* Rhode Island's repeal of a state prohibition on voting for persons on probation and parole resulted in the restoration of voting rights to more than 15,000 individuals;

* Maryland's repeal of its lifetime prohibition on voting for persons who have completed their sentence resulted in the restoration of voting rights for more than 52,000 persons;

* Connecticut's repeal of its ban on voting for persons on probation extended the right to vote to more than 33,000 citizens; and

* New Mexico's repeal of its lifetime disenfranchisement provision restored the right to vote to more than 69,000 individuals.

We should celebrate this victory, but our goal in Kentucky remains clear - to pass House Bill 70 to directly re-enfranchise over 120,000 former felons in our state.  Kentucky has a small population, but because our felony disenfranchisement laws are so restrictive, even a moderate step forward can make a big difference in our Democracy on the state level, and even on the national level.

You can read the full report from the Sentencing Project in PDF form Here.