Earlier this month Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced policy changes intended to make it easier for previously convicted Virginians to regain their voting rights. Those convicted of violent felonies will now face a three year waiting period as opposed to a five year one. Felony drug convicts will now be considered nonviolent offenders, allowing them to regain their rights immediately after completing prison time and paying court costs. This is a huge move, because Virginia law currently disenfranchises 7.34% of its otherwise-eligible voters because of prior felony convictions, the fourth highest in the nation.
Virginia is an example of how disparate and uneven felon disenfranchisement laws are across the nation. In 11 states, a felon may permanently lose the right to vote, in 24 states they must wait until they complete parole and/or probation. 13 states allow voting after incarceration is complete, and 2 states allow for voting while incarcerated. Minnesota is in the largest category, wherein people with a past felony conviction can vote after they finish their entire sentence, including probation or parole. This issue has surfaced in the Minnesota Legislature this year, and a bill has been introduced to restore the right to vote to people after incarceration for a felony. (See the Star Tribune article on this issue.)
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On May 7, The Ramsey County Law Library and the Ramsey County Bar Association will celebrate Law Day with a talk by Dr. Christopher Uggen on the subject of felon disenfranchisement. This event will take place at 3:30 p.m. in Room 40 of the Ramsey County Court House and is free and open to the public. (CLE credit is available.) Dr. Uggen is co-author of Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy (Oxford 2006), which is available at the Law Library.
