Should felons get to vote?

Should felons be allowed to vote?

  • Yes

    Votes: 10 19.6%
  • No

    Votes: 37 72.5%
  • Depends on their crime(s)

    Votes: 4 7.8%

  • Total voters
    51

Merlin99

Visualize whirled peas
PREMO Member
If you made them have to put forth personal effort to get their voting right back I predict the number of applicants would be incredibly small.
Personally I think this should apply to everyone and not just felons, so many people vote with no idea who or what they're voting for.
 

Rommey

Well-Known Member
There's already too many road blocks in today's society for ex-convicts. It seems unreasonable to add one more road block to having a ex-convict integrate back into society. I fail to see the logic in continuing punishment after someone has completed their sentence.

I also don't see how "depends on their crime" factors into the question.
 

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
Whats to stop a felon from voting or possessing a firearm........?

They do it all the time is beautiful downtown Baltimore. The ones that die just vote.
 

Yooper

Up. Identified. Lase. Fire. On the way.
Nope. Never. A felon forfeits his/her/xer right.... No guns, no votes, no full participation in our civic life post-conviction.

Don't water down felony offenses. Felonies are serious crimes and I still believe in the deterrent aspect of the legal system. Want lesser felons to regain the privilege? Then reclassify their offenses as misdemeanors. More serious/violent felonies, no.

Well I disagree. If the crime is serious enough....

Bumping an older thread.

I'm coming over a bit to your side, Ken.

ACB got me to thinking:

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Kanter v. Barr in which the court upheld that Rickey I. Kanter was prohibited from owning a firearm because he committed mail fraud. However, Justice Barrett dissented, arguing that history does not support revoking Second Amendment rights to felons convicted of a non-violent crime.

“History is consistent with common sense: it demonstrates that legislatures have the power to prohibit dangerous people from possessing guns,” Barrett wrote in her 2019 dissent. “But that power extends only to people who are dangerous. Founding-era legislatures did not strip felons of the right to bear arms simply because of their status as felons.
emphasis mine

She makes, I think, an excellent point. So while my overall opposition to felons voting/having guns/etc. still stands, I can see where there could be some wiggle room.

FWIW

--- End of line (MCP)
 

black dog

Free America
Shall not be Infringed.....
Its a simple sentence, but many make it so hard...
Once time has been served all God given Rights shall be restored....
 

Bobwhite

Well-Known Member
Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong in my thinking. It seems to me that felons, ex-felons, what-have-you, can influence elections in ways other than voting. They can blog, twitter, facebook, youtube, etc. whatever they think is relevant and why it should be this way or that way. Look how many "stars" have been created by just that method. Also, they can join political organizations and peddle their influence in that manner. So I don't think it matters if they get their voting privileges restored.
 

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
So you say a child rapist can serve their full sentence, then regain their right to be elementary school teachers?
If that is what you think I said. I can't help you comprehend my actual words. Which are, if a crime is so egregious that rights will continue to be held after the punishment has been completed then those that commit those crimes should never be set free upon society again.. Otherwise, once a person has served their determined punishment and are returned to society they then get all of their rights returned.

Now, to your specific scenario; I am quite certain that an elementary school determining that a candidate for employment has such a past that they would be under no obligation to actually employ such a candidate, right? There is no enumerated right to any job that anyone wants.
 

DaSDGuy

Well-Known Member
If that is what you think I said. I can't help you comprehend my actual words. Which are, if a crime is so egregious that rights will continue to be held after the punishment has been completed then those that commit those crimes should never be set free upon society again.. Otherwise, once a person has served their determined punishment and are returned to society they then get all of their rights returned.

Now, to your specific scenario; I am quite certain that an elementary school determining that a candidate for employment has such a past that they would be under no obligation to actually employ such a candidate, right? There is no enumerated right to any job that anyone wants.
Your actual words:
"Absolutely. Once they have served their sentence and are back in society they should get all of their rights back, to include voting."

What part of your words "they should get all their rights back, to include voting" did I misunderstand? Or are you just back pedaling?
 

black dog

Free America
So you say a child rapist can serve their full sentence, then regain their right to be elementary school teachers?
As difficult as it feels with some crimes, yes. All or our God Given Rights should be restored when the sentence has been fullfilled...
Maybe we should reinstate the death penalty for more felonies....
 

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
Your actual words:
"Absolutely. Once they have served their sentence and are back in society they should get all of their rights back, to include voting."

What part of your words "they should get all their rights back, to include voting" did I misunderstand? Or are you just back pedaling?
Is working as an elementary school teacher (or at any job) a right? The part that you seem to not understand is what a right is.
 

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
It's pretty easy to not commit a felony. The vast majority of Americans go their whole lives with no problem.

How about it they have to apply for their voting privileges after they've served their time? They don't get it automatically, they have to prove that they want it by registering and a board either approves or disapproves, based on the crime committed and the felon's history.
That sounds expensive for society.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Employment isn't a right.
No but discrimination in employment is illegal, correct? Believe me I'm not saying a child molester who served his time should ever be allowed to be a teacher I'm just following the logic. For me the only thing child molester should be allowed to be is dead
 

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
No but discrimination in employment is illegal, correct?
Yes, for certain reasons, specifically if such discrimination is based on race, gender, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity by employers. Notice that there is nothing illegal about discriminating for one's status as a felon.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Yes, for certain reasons, specifically if such discrimination is based on race, gender, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity by employers. Notice that there is nothing illegal about discriminating for one's status as a felon.

Thats sorta the point, for some felonies, maybe there should be something in there.... Or not, and we execute or lock up forever some felons....
 

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
Thats sorta the point, for some felonies, maybe there should be something in there.... Or not, and we execute or lock up forever some felons....
As they should be, if the crime is of such an egregious nature then rid them from society. But if it is determined that they have served the complete penalty for their crime/s and are returned to society, return them whole.
 
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