Do felons have voting rights?
The Florida Republican Party said it has a list of more than 900 felons who will vote illegally in this year's election.
“We believe this is simply the tip of the iceberg and there could be potentially additional felons who have registered,” said Mindy Tucker Fletcher, spokesman for the Florida Republican Party. (source)
I thought that once a felon had served his time, he/she could apply to have their voting rights restored. It seems fair to me, in a way. People who are equal citizens who pay taxes are allowed to vote. When felons become part of society again, any wages they earn will be taxable, so it seems only the fair thing to do to give them voting rights.
Or am I assuming too much? We tax them but they have no access to their representation?
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Can somebody please explain to me why Gore and the democrats gave up the fight so quickly in 2000?!!?
If this happens again but this time in reverse, the republicans will not relent for a moment!!
No matter what the polls say I think Kerry will win sufficiently due to new young voters and true fiscal conservatives. Last election was so close, is it possible that the Gore voters will now vote for Bush?!
Dan
Just more stupid Republican Tricks --- sort of like them going after anyone in Georgia with an Hispanic surname or lying under oath in Ohio trying to have people dropped off the roles there because they refused delivery of Republican propaganda into their homes.
yes, it is different from state to state - in FLORIDA, you must apply to have the right re-instated once out of jail. I'm betting that this "list" isn't folks who SHOULDN'T be voting, but merely those who are now registered, and were formerly felons - but they are trying to put the onus on the voter to PROOVE he actually applied for, and received, restoration of the right. AGAIN the repulbicans are focusing on PREVENTING voting from happening, while the democrats are focusing on ENCOURAGING voting.
Restoration of voting rights varies from state to state to the federal level (that is, if one was convicted of a federal offence).