Should Felons Have the Right to Vote in America

DeletedUser

Guest
I was looking up some information online about felons and their voting rights. It seems that most states already have it so that felons are able to vote. It was broken down like this:

1) 2 states (Maine and Vermont) allow felons to vote during incarceration.
2) 13 states allow felons to vote after their incarceration is done.
3) 4 states allow felons to vote following their parole.
4) 20 states allow felons to vote after probation.

So that's 39 states where the felons get their voting rights back. Now for the other 11 states, it is broken down like this:

1) 8 states have laws about felon voting rights based on the circumstance, or the severity of the crime committed. So for some that means getting it back after incarceration, parole, and probation. For others that means they must make a petition, which has no guarantee that your voting rights will be returned.

2) 3 states (Florida, Iowa and Kentucky) require individual petitions, so these would be the hardest states to get back your voting rights.

Not sure how I feel about them getting the right to vote. I mean they broke a rule in the past, it can easily happen again. Or they could have learned from it, and fixed their life. Another thing to remember is that a lot of people who have the right to vote don't use it, so for some felons losing that privilege would not affect them. Right now I don't see a need for that states to change their ways of handling it.
 

DeletedUser11750

Guest
While in prison: NO.

But voting is a fundamental part of Americana.

Should Felons Have the Right to Vote in America?
Thank you for looking into the new Debate and Discussion forum.

Currently in the United States, convicted felons forfeit their right to vote. The severity of this so called disenfranchisement is nationwide, but highly varied - with only Vermont and Maine allowing felons and current prison inmates equal voting rights to non-violating citizens.

So we arrive at the core discussion: Should felons have the right to vote? If so, why? If you agree with the status quo, do you believe that the current regulatory measures in place must change? Is such a current policy in agreement with the Constitution? Discuss.

Please have thorough, thoughtful responses and feel free to debate the issue and be prepared to defend your stance on the issue. That is, after all the point of this forum. Using credible sources could improve the validity of your argument but please realize that there is no right or wrong answer here. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
 

DeletedUser

Guest
The question is should a felon vote, not the uneducated, or the couch potato watching DWTS. A felon, should not vote. Even though all felonious crimes are not necessarily equal, the individual that commits that felony, usually is aware that it is a felony, knowing the consequences, i.e forfeiting their right to vote. And the idea that, "they have done their time", does anyone really think that 10-20 yrs in a State or Federal Prison makes you a reformed individual?
 

DeletedUser

Guest
If a felony can exclude a persons voice from their own democracy or republic can it really be called either? Think the right to vote should be reinstated once someone is off parole, if they are fit to return to society then they are fit to have some sort of control over their elected leaders.

Also prison can be used to undermine minorities, a political prisoners isn't hypothetical just take a glance at the world leaders over the years.

Dude people without a 2.0 college degree from a major university shouldn't even be allowed to vote, let alone convicted felons.

But it gives you basic intelligent standing and display that your say matters. I'm sorry, but i'll always trust a conservative who does research out of books, credible articles, etc as opposed to the condescending hippie who works at pizza hut and that's me being liberal by the way. Same goes for the hunter in the back woods with no education as opposed a person with a degree. Fact of the matter is, if you aren't educated at all, then you lack basic reasoning. Considering political science is a basic requirement at major universities as well as other social sciences. You walk out with a better understanding of politics.

Lets be frank what you accomplish DOES give your opinion more of a weight. Again, nobody cares what the guy on the phone at Pizza Hut thinks about politics. Don't believe me? Let one try to talk to you about it. I guarantee you you'll be asking them to shut up or to speak to a manager.

Omar, i'd like to see the 10% statistic. I'm also curious as to why it counts against being well informed if the news is lying to us anyways.

It did hoplite and it was underwater basket weaving. ;)

the overlap of ignorance and arrogance is pretty stunning sometimes
 
Last edited by a moderator:

DeletedUser

Guest
Hello,

In my opinion then every citizen should have the right to vote right up to the point where they are so mentally unstable that they are in danger for themselves - first then you can expect them not to make rational decisions but it basiclly has to be so bad that you think they cant think straight anymore.

Every citizen in a democratic society should be able to vote. Mainly because we dont want to make some kind of elite class that takes control but also because if we start to put people in "allowed to vote" and "not allowed to vote" boxes then the people with increasing power will be able to make that "not allowed to vote" box grow and start adjusting requirements to be put there.

This would spread a fear in the society and ruin a working democrazy. A democracy takes voice from good, bad, tall, short, black, white, etc. the whole point is that we don't judge anyone to not have their right to express themselves.

A felony is a citizen too and he/she should be able to select the ones he/she believe in.

Adding to who i found should be able to vote im not even so sure about them if they should have the right or not.

/Flash
 

DeletedUser15507

Guest
Ahh, zombie this post.......

1st taking the right for felons to vote is unconstitutional. Violates the 8,14,15,24th amendments, but that doesn't matter. Still public couldn't vote for senators till 1913, 17th admen, and the electoral college has always chose the president, not the public.

In this state, underage friends kid lied about his age to police, he became a felon at 17, but punching a cop at that time was a misdemeanor. Zero tolerance DUI, Felon. Get addicted to the heroin and meth the government okays for kids to take, and if you have one pill not belonging to you, felon.
Voting is a shame, any history buff can tell you that. BS is- that you do crime and do time, and crap follows people whole life. This state you can't get a CDL, real estate license, own a business that takes money (coin-op, vending machines), some states can't use bow and arrow, fishing or hunting can get you a felony, can't be captain of boat, fly airplane, some medical jobs, life guard, and a bunch of other BS jobs.......

But a Politician can smoke crack, sell crack, in public office and become a felon and get elected as mayor!?!? Guess what Felons didnt vote him in.......Honestly Felons wouldn't vote a crackhead to be mayor, they know better. Unlike clueless fools who believe the lies of a crackhead. DUH....... Oh the irony.....

the founding fathers made the electoral college because... quote "the general public is uneducated, uninformed, and easily swayed" Took 21 post before someone pointed out felons do get to vote in most states.... Founding fathers still right. Google is your friend, takes 2 seconds to copy and paste a search..................smh

and to boot how many people actually know, met, talked, sat down with any politician they voted for? That either back them or against them, from BS lies they tell people on TV... -_-
All politicians in USA need to be jailed and the whole idea of politics and politicians needs to be scrapped.
What the hell is with all this BS that is meaningless and detrimental to actually progressing society. Why is there a such thing as a filibuster? To waste time, and stop the progress of society. What politicians are actually qualified to be leaders? Lawyers? LOL, businessmen?

What about people with degrees in sociology, humanities, subjects that actually would benefit the jobs the have. Not CEO's that quit job run for office, get placed in control/overdight of the same industries they worked for and make laws to benefit the companies, then go back to work at company after they bastardized the laws, rules, regulations. And the SO educated non felons, vote them in , believe the lies, etc.....

bottom line Felons prolly have a better understanding of the law than most law abiding citizens, and see through the fake promises and lies the politicians tell constantly.

FYI- Missouri felons can have guns, now maybe not the smartest thing, but they actually follow the constitution, unlike most states and politicians that play "word" games with the law.....not like real criminals follow the rules, and are not that "smart". Guaranteed if felons could own guns (which is the real purpose of punishing a felon), they would prolly buy em and use them for crimes and the police would have a record of it...
See how dumb most baddies are? Posting drugs, guns and money on FB and getting arrested.

Tangent complete.........
 
Last edited by a moderator:

DeletedUser15649

Guest
Should Felons Have the Right to Vote in America?
Thank you for looking into the new Debate and Discussion forum.

Currently in the United States, convicted felons forfeit their right to vote. The severity of this so called disenfranchisement is nationwide, but highly varied - with only Vermont and Maine allowing felons and current prison inmates equal voting rights to non-violating citizens.

So we arrive at the core discussion: Should felons have the right to vote? If so, why? If you agree with the status quo, do you believe that the current regulatory measures in place must change? Is such a current policy in agreement with the Constitution? Discuss.

Please have thorough, thoughtful responses and feel free to debate the issue and be prepared to defend your stance on the issue. That is, after all the point of this forum. Using credible sources could improve the validity of your argument but please realize that there is no right or wrong answer here. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I think that the beautiful thing about America is that our voices can actually be heard. I believe that if someone has served their time and is now free, they should have a right to be heard...
 

DeletedUser7785

Guest
Considering the sheer volume of laws (both at the state level and federal level) that cover so many of the most rarest actions, which means every single American commits at least one felony per week....yes, felons should be granted their right to vote upon completion of their sentence.

And there is nothing more dangerous than people advocating the government being able to "grant or strip" rights from Americans. If the government can deny, take away, or grant "rights" to you, it's not a right. It's a privilege. I've never read the Bill of Privileges.
 
Top