Dear John,
Election day in America has come and gone, and many votes are still being tallied. It may be some time before we know the full results, but regardless of the outcome, we cannot forget that millions of Americans were denied the opportunity to cast their ballot this year due to their history with the criminal legal system.
They were left voiceless.
Last month, The Sentencing Project released a report which found that 4.6 million Americans – representing two percent of the voting-age population – would be unable to vote this year due to current or previous felony convictions. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of eligible incarcerated voters were unable to cast their ballot because they did not have the information and tools at their disposal to physically cast their ballot.
All of this is particularly concerning at a time when our country is dealing with hard questions about the stability of our democracy and the fairness of our elections. The right to vote should not be a political issue; this is about whether the state should be in the business of denying the franchise to select individuals. It is about the fundamental personhood of every individual and their right to have a say in their representation – regardless of their history with the criminal legal system.
Recent polling shows that the public agrees. A national survey conducted by Lake Research Partners found that over half of likely voters support the full restoration of voting rights to all citizens over the age of 18, including those completing a sentence, both inside and outside of prison.
So, as we look ahead to 2023, we know that public sentiment is on our side. The Sentencing Project will continue working to make sure that public policy reflects the will of the people by building a democracy where everyone has a voice.
Join the movement to expand voting rights. Next week on November 15th at 2pm ET we will debrief the midterm election and discuss next steps. You can register here.
