John, despite his 34 felony convictions, Donald Trump doesn’t have to worry about his eligibility to vote this fall.
He has the wealth, connections, and privilege to ensure his voting rights would never be in question – not to mention a high-powered legal team paid for by his political donors due to gaps in campaign finance laws. [1]
But the 4.4 million ordinary Americans currently disenfranchised by felony convictions aren’t so lucky.
It’s time to end this double standard and ensure NO American is denied their right to vote in federal elections. Tell Congress: Pass the Inclusive Democracy Act to restore full voting rights to all Americans with felony convictions.
John, felony disenfranchisement laws have a shameful history dating back to Jim Crow – and were never intended to target wealthy, powerful people like Trump.
In fact, white lawmakers in the South declared openly in the early 1900’s that they saw felony disenfranchisement as a tool to guarantee white supremacy. By passing harsh laws that could be selectively applied, they denied Black men their voting rights on trivial charges like “moral turpitude” or “vagrancy.” [2]
Today, laws vary state to state – with some granting full voting rights to currently and formerly incarcerated citizens, and others denying those rights based on those same Jim Crow-era policies.
This has created a confusing patchwork of laws across the country, and the impacts are profound: it's estimated that upwards of 18 million eligible Americans do not vote each year because of confusion about their rights. [3]
The Inclusive Democracy Act would end this injustice for good. It’s time to end these Jim Crow leftovers and invite ALL citizens to fully participate in our democracy – not just those with status and privilege.
John, it’s on us to speak out for what’s right. I hope you’ll join me in calling on Congress to pass the Inclusive Democracy Act and help end the inequality of our so-called “justice” system.
Thanks for all you do,
Keshia Morris Desir, Justice & Democracy Manager
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/trumps-use-campaign-funds-pay-legal-bills
[2] https://www.commoncause.org/page/zero-disenfranchisement/
[3] https://campaignlegal.org/restoreyourvote
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