New Report on Felon Voting Restrictions
Demos has just recently published "Punishing at the Polls: The Case Against Disenfranchising Citizens with Felony Convictions" by Alec Ewald. Ewald wrote me, "It's adapted from my Wisconsin Law Review article of last year, completely revised and rewritten and designed to be accessible." The major topics of the article are:
Disenfranchisement fails as a form of punishment.
Disenfranchisement is a hidden penalty, not a public one.
No evidence exists that offenders would vote in a “subversive” way, as some supporters of criminal disenfranchisement allege.
No evidence exists that offenders are more likely than others to commit lectoral fraud, and states have numerous laws on the books designed to prevent and punish fraud.
Disenfranchisement laws have an explicitly racist past.
Disenfranchisement has an extraordinary impact on communities of color today.
The argument for lifetime bans on voting is not much different from the case for
temporary restrictions.
Comments
I believe that the founding fathers were correct in eliminating the right to vote. I am sick of this liberal "touchy feel good" attitude.
IF THESE FELONS WERE SOOOOOOOOOOOO CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE COMMITED THE CRIME IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!
THIS IS THE OLD ATTITUDE OF "OH I GOT CAUGHT AND NOW I REALLY HAVE TO PAY FOR IT?" BUT IN THIS COUNTRY CRINIMALS GET AWAY WITH TOO MUCH BECAUSE OF THE WHINY LIBS OUT THERE, CUTTING DOWN OR ELIMINATING THE CRIMINALS CONSEQUENCES. NO WONDER KIDS ACT SO BADLY IN SCHOOL, NOW, THEY KNOW THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OF GETTING AROUND BEING HELD ACCOUNTBLE.....THIS COUNTRY IS REGRESSION INTO AN IMMATURE CHILD.
Posted by: Troy | July 10, 2004 2:00 PM