Felons Right to Vote

The right to vote is one of the fundamental rights of every American as entrenched in the U.S. Constitution. However, millions of Americans have been stripped of this right with many being denied this right for the rest of their lives. One of the groups that have been stripped of the right to vote is convicted felons. Most of the existing state laws bar convicted felons from voting even after they have been released from prisoner unless they are granted clemency by the state governor (Gonchar par, 1). Despite the widespread adoption of such state regulations, the right to vote for ex-convicted felons have become a major issue in the recent past. There are debates on whether felons who have served their time in incarceration facilities should be permitted to vote upon release. Ex-convicted felons who have demonstrated the principles of good citizenship after being set free should be allowed to vote.
Controversies Regarding the Issue
The right to vote for ex-convicted felons has emerged as one of the most controversial issues in the United States in the recent past given that it has attracted huge debates and different views. People who support the prohibition of ex-convicted felons from voting have raised several arguments to support their claims including the fact such prohibition is consistent with other limitations on voting including sanity, age, and residency. They also contend ex-convicted felons should be barred from voting because such measures are consistent with other felon restrictions like no guns for violent criminals. The other argument used by these individuals to support their view is the fact that convicted felons have already demonstrated poor judgment and should therefore not be trusted to make good judgments when voting. By making wrong choices and judgments in their social lives, convicted felons prove that they cannot be trusted to make the right choices when voting and should therefore be prohibited from voting.
However, these claims have been countered by those who support the idea that ex-convicted felons should be permitted to vote upon release from prison. One of the arguments used to support this view is the fact that felons are affected by regulations or laws enacted by politicians at the various levels of government. These politicians make laws that affect nearly every aspect of a felon’s life even after release from prison. Therefore, since ex-convicted felons are part of the nation’s democratic system, they should be permitted to choose people (i.e. politicians) who make laws that affect them. Secondly, they argue that stripping ex-convicted felons of their right to vote has become an avenue for racist policies by states. These regulations have provided a premise through which state utilize the criminal justice system to prevent certain races like Blacks from fully engaging in society (Gonchar par, 3). By preventing ex-convicted felons from voting, state regulations disproportionately lock up minorities and the poor from voting (Weeks par, 1). As a result, these individuals and groups are disenfranchised despite their key role in America’s democracy.
Personal Opinion
The contradictions surrounding this issue has made it relatively difficult for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to find a suitable middle ground for addressing the issue. In my opinion, the best solution to this problem is allowing ex-convicted felons to vote once they have demonstrated principles of good citizenship after release from prison. This is a suitable solution to the issue because it incorporates the arguments raised by both sides and provides an amicable middle-ground that can be agreed upon by both parties. Moreover, this is an appropriate solution to the issue because it ensures that ex-convicted felons who still make wrong choices in their social lives with regards to crime are prevented from voting while those who change their lives are allowed to fully participate in society.
Through implementing this solution, states and federal government will ensure that the country’s democracy does not exclude a potential large number of voters while felon restrictions are still enforced to promote good citizenship among ex-convicted felons. Allowing ex-convicted felons who have demonstrated the principles of good citizenship upon release from prison helps in closing loopholes of relatively discriminatory state policies. A lifetime disenfranchisement of the right to vote for ex-convicted felons is punitive and amounts to excessive sanctions. Such regulations and policies prevent the full rehabilitation of ex-convicted felons and provides an avenue through which they are continually punished despite serving their time in prison (Gonchar par, 7). Therefore, restoring the right to vote for ex-convicted felons is part of effective rehabilitation and promoting the integration into the society.
On the other hand, ex-convicted felons who are yet to demonstrate principles of good citizenship should be prohibited from voting because they are yet to prove the ability to make good choices or judgment. Ex-convicted felons who are yet to demonstrate principles of good citizenship are at high risks of recidivism, which implies that their judgment is not valid enough to permit them to make choices that could impact the rest of the society through voting. Barring such individuals from voting would ensure that the democratic system does not have voters with compromised judgments.
In conclusion, the right to vote for ex-convicted felons who have served their time in prison remains a major controversial issue. This issue has been characterized by several arguments and counterarguments because of its divisive nature. Following an analysis of the arguments raised by each side of this divisive issue, the most suitable solution is for ex-convicted felons who have demonstrated principles of good citizenship to be allowed to vote. In contrast, those who are yet to do so should be prohibited from voting because of probable recidivism.
Works Cited
Gonchar, Michael. "Should Felons Be Allowed to Vote After They Have Served Their Time?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Feb. 2014, http://www.learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/18/should-convicted-felons-be-allowed-to-vote-after-theyve-served-their-time/?mcubz=1.
Weeks, Daniel. "Should Felons Lose the Right to Vote?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 07 Jan. 2014, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/should-felons-lose-the-right-to-vote/282846/.