It's not the first time........I'm sure you all have the same problem

[serryjw]

While petitioning I run into a dozen people a day that are felons but in the state of CO can get their voting privileges re- instated once they are on probation....They don't know this!

Again today I met a 35 year old woman that was naturalized from Russia 8 months ago and has no idea how to register to vote. I bet there are hundreds of thousands that fall into these categories across the country.WHY are people not instructed what to do once they can vote?

quote......
No disfranchisement for felony convictions (prisioners may vote):
ME, PR, VT

Voting restored after release from prison:
DC, HI, IL, IN, MA, MI, MT, NH, ND, OH, OR, PA, SD, UT

Voting restored after release from prison and completion of parole (people on probation may vote):
CA, CO, CT, NY

Voting restored after completion of prison, parole and probation:
AK, AR, GA, ID, KS, LA, MN, MO, NE*, NJ, NM, NC, OK, RI, SC, TX, WV, WI

Permanent disfranchisement for some felony convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration:
AZ, DE, MD, MS, NV, TN, WA, WY

Permanent disfranchisement for all felony convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration:
AL, FL, IA, KY, VA


* After a two year waiting period
end quote.........

http://www.righttovote.org/state.asp

[msongs]

1. looks like cheney can't vote in WY when he gets out of prison : - ) nt

[serryjw]

4. Heck...He is never getting out alive!

n/t

[cally]

2. Same thing in California

Many don't know that you can vote once you are on probation. I had a 40 something man come up and ask if he could vote since he had a felony conviction in his early 20s. He didn't realize he could have voted all these years. He registered right there.

[serryjw]

3. The one thing I don't know

will try and find out tomorrow is the RIGHT to vote based on the state of your felon OR the state you are currently living in and want to vote in.....do you know?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. I think it goes by your CURRENT State of Residence...

Don't quote me till I find a link tho...

:hi:

edit: everything I can find states "current residence" and I can't find a single entry that even mentions that it matters where the Prison term was served.

google search - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=voting+rights+state+felon+current+residence

[serryjw]

6. I bet that this is a state by state

decision based on original conviction(state) vs current residence voting laws. I'm going to call in CO...Would you do the same?

[sandnsea]

7. I've argued with a few

They are really dead certain that they can't vote and of course what does old white lady me know about it. There are millions of votes out there, just from felons. They really need to know, are the records of released prisoners public information?? Maybe we could make a project of it.

[cally]

8. Some interfaith ministries at San Quentin (CA)

do have a campaign to get this information out. They have voter registration forms in the waiting rooms for families where the prisoners are released. I looked into targetting released prisoners for a voter registration drive during 2004. I couldn't figure out an easy way to do it since you can't get access to the restricted areas where ex-prisoners come out. If I tried again, I would approach the interfaith ministries and the parole offices for help.