# Should Felons Be Able to Vote?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-felons-be-able-to-vote/683017
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 6, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-felons-be-able-to-vote/683017 "2014-03-06T15:34:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2014, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-felons-be-able-to-vote/683017/41 "2014-03-07T07:33:27Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#):
>
> Convicts and felons tend to be disproportionately from particular demographic groups. Those demographic groups may disproportionately support one political party over another, giving those they don’t support an incentive to maintain felon voting laws to suppress votes for the opposition.
_slow clap_
Nice own goal there, **Namkcalb**. Are you a Republican double agent, or did you really just present “Felons would vote Democrat if they could, ergo the Republicans are bad!” and “Black people are more likely to commit felonies… but Republicans are the _real_ racists!” as arguments in good faith?
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### Author:  [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2014, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-felons-be-able-to-vote/683017/42 "2014-03-07T09:14:51Z")
> [@Grumman](#):
>
> Nice own goal there, **Namkcalb**. Are you a Republican double agent,
No, God Save the King/Queen,
Anyway, I’m not saying the US Republican Movement is racist, I’m saying it wants to be elected, and suppreses the voting of likely Democrat voters to help achieve this goal
As for my views about the voting rights of prisoners, I think they should be allowed to vote, but only via absentee ballot for elections in their pre-conviction place-of-residence. Allowing prisoners to vote in the constituency the prison is in would radically and unfairly distort politics and increase NIMBYism.
I think those who have served their time should be allowed full voting rights.
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-felons-be-able-to-vote/683017/43 "2014-03-07T14:00:03Z")
I agree with the restoration of rights after incarceration as a general rule, but would also suppport specific exceptions related to the crime - for instance, one convicted of major voting fraud may, as part of their sentence, permanently lose the right to vote. One convicted of using a gun during the commission of a felony could similarly lose the right to own a gun.
Potential loss of a specific right would have to be codified in the penalty section of the appropriate law (ex. - punishable by 5-10 years in jail, up to a $100,000 fine and/or permanent loss of right to keep and bear arms). Any potential reinstatement process would need to be ironed out as well.
I have concerns about incarcerated people in general excersizing the right to vote, but that stems more from not knowing how they would get information about the candidates so they could make an informed decision. Not many politicos are making stump speeches in prisons…
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-felons-be-able-to-vote/683017/44 "2014-03-07T15:00:31Z")
> [@Grumman](#):
>
> Because laws should not be for other people. Felons are people who have proven, supposedly beyond a reasonable doubt, that they are unwilling to respect the rule of law and committed major crimes as a consequence. That should be enough for you to question whether they are fit to have any say in what those laws should be.
So, if someone passes a couple thousand in bad checks when they’re 18 and are subsequently convicted of a felony, serve their time, decide a life of crime is not for them, and spend the next 20 years being a Good Citizen without so much as a parking ticket you think they are still unwilling to “respect the rule of law” and should continue to be deprived of full citizen rights forever and ever?
I have been friends with several people who, in the distant past, were convicted of felonies and spent a few years in prison. Yet, 20 or more years beyond that they’re some of the most law-abiding people I know because they’ve actually, really, have changed their ways. Yes, it can and does happen. The media only reports on the repeat offenders, they say nothing about the people who actually clean up their act.
In fact, the only two convicted felons I’m aware of with anything like a public profile that’s positive are Tim Allen, former drug trafficker and now comedian/actor, and Robert Downey, Jr., whose drug problems are well publicized. I’m not sure if Martha Stewart’s offenses resulted in a felony conviction or not, but she certainly did serve time. Somehow, I don’t think civilization would be threatened by restoring the vote to any of those three.
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### Author:  [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-felons-be-able-to-vote/683017/45 "2014-03-07T15:57:04Z")
> [@Grumman](#):
>
> Then the correct response is that it shouldn’t be a felony. Not that we should water down what a felony is.
> No, that is stupid. If you don’t have any strong thoughts about who you should vote for, you should not vote. Otherwise you’re just giving the best known candidates free votes for being well known, instead of because they have any redeeming qualities.
It is only stupid if we all believe YOU are the one that decides who should be voting, if you do not feel qualified to vote, then don’t. It isn’t a law yet.
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