Why do Democrats Support Felon Voting?

Many Democrats (and occassionally a Republican) have tried to change laws to permit felons to participate in American elections.  Some states ban felons from voting for life, and some states roll the polling machines straight into the prison on election day. 

But why are Democrats the primary supporters of allowing felons to vote?  Maybe because more Democrats might win elections if felons were allowed to vote.  In fact, this study traces what would have happened through history if felons were allowed to vote.  The results should scare any Republican toying with the idea of allowing felons to vote.  A summary:


1984 – Kentucky – McConnell would have lost


1992 – Georgia – Coverdell would have lost if probationers and parolees had been able to vote


 



  • If contemporary disenfranchisement laws had applied in 1960, Nixon would have won

  • Democrats would have controlled the Senate throughout the 1990s 

  • Republican electoral majority would have been reversed in the 2000 Presidential election even if only ex-felons had been able to vote 

  • Felons and ex-felons make up about 7.5% of the adult population and could be decisive in elections
Of course supporters of felon voting will say that there is no reason why felons shouldn’t be allowed to vote – except there is.  The disenfranchisement of felons has a long history in Anglo-American law.  In fact, the heirs of felons were once dispossessed of entire estates.  The reason it affected heirs was because most felonies were punishable by death.  That’s not to say that is a good policy; but it shows that felons have always been treated by the law as outcasts, individuals not worthy to have any voice about criminal laws.  The theory is that if you disregard the law, you have no right to expect to have a voice in creating the law. 

Again, here is the study.

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Why do Democrats Support Felon Voting?

Many Democrats (and occassionally a Republican) have tried to change laws to permit felons to participate in American elections.  Some states ban felons from voting for life, and some states roll the polling machines straight into the prison on election day. 

But why are Democrats the primary supporters of allowing felons to vote?  Maybe because more Democrats might win elections if felons were allowed to vote.  In fact, this study traces what would have happened through history if felons were allowed to vote.  The results should scare any Republican toying with the idea of allowing felons to vote.  A summary:


1984 – Kentucky – McConnell would have lost


1992 – Georgia – Coverdell would have lost if probationers and parolees had been able to vote


 



  • If contemporary disenfranchisement laws had applied in 1960, Nixon would have won

  • Democrats would have controlled the Senate throughout the 1990s 

  • Republican electoral majority would have been reversed in the 2000 Presidential election even if only ex-felons had been able to vote 

  • Felons and ex-felons make up about 7.5% of the adult population and could be decisive in elections
Of course supporters of felon voting will say that there is no reason why felons shouldn’t be allowed to vote – except there is.  The disenfranchisement of felons has a long history in Anglo-American law.  In fact, the heirs of felons were once dispossessed of entire estates.  The reason it affected heirs was because most felonies were punishable by death.  That’s not to say that is a good policy; but it shows that felons have always been treated by the law as outcasts, individuals not worthy to have any voice about criminal laws.  The theory is that if you disregard the law, you have no right to expect to have a voice in creating the law. 

Again, here is the study.

One thought on “Why do Democrats Support Felon Voting?”

Comments are closed.