The United States was founded on the idea of democracy, which promotes public participation in government. A major aspect of participating in government is voting because it allows citizens to select leaders and ideas they want representing their country.

Since the founding of the United States, voting rights have greatly progressed through suffrage and the civil rights movement. However, a section of the population still doesn’t have this right: ex-felons.

Felony disenfranchisement is the exclusion from voting due to the conviction of a criminal offense. Restrictions placed on voting rights are state-based, so each determines their own laws. According to The Sentencing Project, approximately 6.1 million Americans cannot vote because of a felony conviction, about 2.5 % of the adult population.

The National Conference of State Legislatures said that most states fall into four different categories of restriction. The first is that voting rights are never taken away, meaning convicted felons can vote, even from prison. However, only Maine and Vermont have these laws.

Fourteen states and Washington D.C. grant voting rights after the completion of the prison sentence, which is the second category of restriction.

Twenty-two states restore voting rights after a parole or probation period. For example, Minnesota automatically restores voting rights after a prison, parole, or probation sentence is complete.

The fourth group, consisting of 12 states, does not automatically restore voting rights after a full punishment is served. Ex-felons can lose voting rights indefinitely, and are often never restored.

This issue is slowly shifting. States are starting to restore voting rights, due to the political and social isolation that is present when these rights are permanently taken away. Denying the restoration of voting rights can be seen as “civil death,” meaning these citizens are losing their place in a democratic society.

Indefinitely withholding a person’s right to vote also withholds their full citizenship, since voting is a critical aspect of being an American citizen. Reintegrating people into society by restoring their right to vote can lower their chance of going to prison again. This is based on the idea of civic duty and inclusion, as noted by Kimberly Kras with the Pacific Standard: Social Justice.

The biggest argument against restoring the right to vote is that a convicted felon broke the “social contract,” meaning the relationship between an individual and the government that serves them. People argue that they are no longer entitled to the benefits of this social contract.

However, this leads to an entire section of the population that is not represented in the government, which is a direct contradiction of what democracy stands for. Entire communities are underrepresented, specifically those in poverty and people of color. The Sentencing Project also found that 1 in 13 African Americans have lost their right to vote due to felony disenfranchisement, compared to 1 in 56 non-black voters.

Taking away a felon’s right to vote weakens democracy. It isolates people from rejoining society and being a part in the American political system.

Maddie Peters can be reached at pete9542@stthomas.edu.