Voices of people fighting to restore Voting Rights

Quotes from the Rally For Voting Rights from some of the people who have lost the right to vote fighting to have their voices heard

“I’m a Kentuckian, I’m a citizen of the United States. How are you going to tell me that somebody who does all that doesn’t have the right to vote? How are you going to tell me that 312,000 should be weighed by these men and women to see if they have their god given right to vote?”
— Michael Hiser (Louisville)

“We're not felons anymore. That doesn’t define us, its just a title. We are people and we want our right to vote. I'm a single mom, I have a 19 year old daughter in college and I have an 8 year old. Its our right and our fight, our value our voice. And I'm lifting up my voice and everyone who is falling behind, who cant. Unity! Solidarity! Democracy!”
— Amy Riggs (Lexington)

“My name is Alaina Collins and live lived in Kentucky my entire life. I'm a mother. I'm a girlfriend. I'm a sister. I'm a friend. But my biggest job is I'm a role model. I get the opportunity to walk into a building every morning where over 200 women reside, they are also mothers and daughters sisters wives and students. I tell these women every day that they’re beautiful that they're worth something that they're creative and brave. We have to jump through 1000 hoops to get our voting rights back. It’s a process. Its really hard... I ask the state of KY to focus on a bigger fights – like raising children, focusing on families – that’s a bigger fight than voting. Everyone is worth more than their mistake.”
— Alaina Combs (Louisville)
 
“Here I am fighting for my right to vote. I committed a crime, like many of us, back in 95. Upon being released I got my GED I got my college degree in radio and tv communications. Tell me I cant change. Our change is today. It’s not a privilege, it’s a right. I demand my right back to vote”
— Corey Logan (Lexington)

“We need to be restored. We cannot let these people keep us back, they use this against us. They keep revolving us through the door, its got to stop. State of Kentucky, restore our rights back.”
— Richard Young (Elsmere)

"This situation hurts us all. I implore Governor Bevin and the gubernatorial candidates to pledge to fix or streamline the restoration of voting. This is not a partisan issue."
— Debra Graner (Frankfort)

Here I stand 20 years later and I still do not have the right to vote. Members of the legislature, Governor, I am a conservative. And I can't vote. How does this benefit you?  How does this benefit anything?
— James Sweasy (Louisville)

“I paid my debt to society. For people like us we need our right to vote and I need my right to vote for what is about to happen. I am a volunteer here in my community, I serve others instead of myself. I work at a 12 step program who need to be rehabilitated. It's no longer about me. I have my own family and I have stability. More than I've ever had in my entire life. I feel my voice and opinion should matter.
— Jeremy Baltz (Frankfort)

“I believe our voices really do matter, in unison. I sincerely believe that. The reason why we can't vote is strategic. Some people want to keep us from having our voice.  Our voices matter our votes matter.”
— Aubrey Clemons (Louisville)

"I'm from Martin County Kentucky. Growing up, I remember hearing about the constitution, about freedom, about happiness. I learned early on that promises are not always kept. I remember at 18 I got to vote for the first time and it meant so much to me. When I got out I thought it’s okay, if you work hard in America, you’ll be restored. It’s the land of second chances. And I still couldn’t vote. I would sit every November and may and watch these choices being made without me just like when I was a little girl hungry and without drinking water…. Kentucky is number two in the nation to incarcerate women. Our mothers are losing the right to vote and so whole families are losing the right to vote."
— Amanda Hall (Louisville)