Kentucky: proposal for restoration of felons' voting rights
The Louisville Courier-Journal reports: Felons would have their voting rights restored automatically after finishing their sentences under a constitutional amendment that lawmakers and activists proposed yesterday.
Activists backed their proposal with a new poll showing that 56 percent of Kentuckians support such a change.
The state constitution imposes a lifetime voting ban on felons; only the governor can reverse it. Gov. Ernie Fletcher changed the process by requiring applicants to write a statement and provide three references. ...
In fiscal year 2003, before Fletcher took office, voting rights were restored to 1,231 felons, according to the coalition, which said the numbers came from the Department of Corrections and the secretary of state.
In fiscal year 2006, that number fell to 227, the coalition said. -- Voting rights for felons proposed