The Voting Restriction No One Talks About
Requiring an ID to vote is ridiculous but at least it only blocks someone until they get an ID. Not allowing a felon who has served his/her sentence is usually permanent. And as Brent Staples points out, has a history grounded in racism:
The history of disenfranchisement was laid out in a fascinating 2003 study by Angela Behrens, Christopher Uggen and Jeff Manza. They found that state felony bans exploded in number during the late 1860s and 1870s, particularly in the wake of the Fifteenth Amendment, which ostensibly guaranteed black Americans the right to vote.
They also found that the larger the state’s black population, the more likely the state was to pass the most stringent laws that permanently denied people convicted of crimes the right to vote.
and the impact?
Click here for reuse options!It has also stripped one in every 13 black persons of the right to vote — a rate four times that of nonblacks nationally. . . Alabama today has one of the highest rates of felony disenfranchisement in the nation: An estimated 7.2 percent of its citizens — and 15 percent of African-Americans — have lost the right to vote.
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Stuart Shapiro
Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.
40 responses to The Voting Restriction No One Talks About
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mea_mark November 21st, 2014 at 18:07
It should be a felony to attempt to merge church and state. Let’s charge republicans everywhere with that felony and see what happens. They want to violate the constitution let’s throw them in jail and take away their right to vote. It would only seem fair.
Larry Schmitt November 21st, 2014 at 18:16
Whenever the subject of school prayer comes up, I remember the quote from someone (wish I could remember who) that if you want to see prayer in school, drop by during finals week.
bahlers November 22nd, 2014 at 03:50
So you want to charge GOPers with a false law and see what happens? Your logic is a bit flawed, especially for being a mod.
Carla Akins November 22nd, 2014 at 04:59
So a mod can’t have an opinion? Our job is to keep the tone civil and delete offensive postings – that somehow remove our ability to express an opinion? That’s bit Republican – I mean restrictive of you.
mea_mark November 22nd, 2014 at 11:58
Bahlers must be having a bad day and just needs a hug or something.
ChrisVosburg November 22nd, 2014 at 12:18
The Constitutional right to bear hugs, hee hee.
mea_mark November 21st, 2014 at 19:07
It should be a felony to attempt to merge church and state. Let’s charge republicans everywhere with that felony and see what happens. They want to violate the constitution let’s throw them in jail and take away their right to vote. It would only seem fair.
Larry Schmitt November 21st, 2014 at 19:16
Whenever the subject of school prayer comes up, I remember the quote from someone (wish I could remember who) that if you want to see prayer in school, drop by during finals week.
bahlers November 22nd, 2014 at 04:50
So you want to charge GOPers with a false law and see what happens? Your logic is a bit flawed, especially for being a mod.
Carla Akins November 22nd, 2014 at 05:59
So a mod can’t have an opinion? Our job is to keep the tone civil and delete offensive postings – that somehow remove our ability to express an opinion? That’s bit Republican – I mean restrictive of you.
mea_mark November 22nd, 2014 at 12:58
Bahlers must be having a bad day and just needs a hug or something.
ChrisVosburg November 22nd, 2014 at 13:18
The Constitutional right to bear hugs, hee hee.
greenfloyd November 21st, 2014 at 19:11
One of the problems seems to be the Hodge-podge of state laws. Here in Oregon “Drug Courts” are used with first-time and increasingly older, drug war “felons” who have long since paid their dues yet are still forced to wear the owners’ brand. To me this liberation is also worthy of an Executive Order before Mr. Obama retires from political life.
Hass November 21st, 2014 at 21:34
Hi Greenfloyed,
can you tell me what “forced to wear the owners’ brand” means? Is that like being branded a non voter for life?
greenfloyd November 21st, 2014 at 22:31
It’s much more and gets down to basic economic survival. Take a twenty year-old who makes a few mistakes and gets into trouble selling drugs, does a couple years and a nickle probation and stays clear of trouble… a few years later its time to go back to school, find a decent job, settle down and then it hits, you are tied down to that felony and a few bags of pot suddenly becomes a life sentence to poverty and living on the margin.
Hass November 22nd, 2014 at 01:29
Wow, that’s worse than I thought, that is so horrible, it’s inhumane.
I see what you meant re the Executive Order and I agree.
And thank you for recommending “The New Jim Crow”.
mea_mark November 22nd, 2014 at 12:04
It is right-wing moral oppression with-out the forgiveness that Christ is supposed to embody. GOP Jesus doesn’t care, doesn’t forgive and remembers all transgressions.
floyd[@]greenfloyd.org November 21st, 2014 at 20:11
One of the problems seems to be the Hodge-podge of state laws. Here in Oregon “Drug Courts” are used with first-time and increasingly older, drug war “felons” who have long since paid their dues yet are still forced to wear the owners’ brand. To me this liberation is also worthy of an Executive Order before Mr. Obama retires from political life.
Hass November 21st, 2014 at 22:34
Hi Greenfloyed,
can you tell me what “forced to wear the owners’ brand” means? Is that like being branded a non voter for life?
floyd[@]greenfloyd.org November 21st, 2014 at 23:31
It’s much more and gets down to basic economic survival. Take a twenty year-old who makes a few mistakes and gets into trouble selling drugs, does a couple years and a nickle probation and stays clear of trouble… a few years later its time to go back to school, find a decent job, settle down and then it hits, you are tied down to that felony and a few bags of pot suddenly becomes a life sentence to poverty and living on the margin.
Hass November 22nd, 2014 at 02:29
Wow, that’s worse than I thought, that is so horrible, it’s inhumane.
I see what you meant re the Executive Order and I agree.
And thank you for recommending “The New Jim Crow”.
mea_mark November 22nd, 2014 at 13:04
It is right-wing moral oppression with-out the forgiveness that Christ is supposed to embody. GOP Jesus doesn’t care, doesn’t forgive and remembers all transgressions.
Hass November 21st, 2014 at 21:28
I don’t understand what a criminal record has to do with voting. In Oz, one can vote from gaol if a person is serving under five years.
greenfloyd November 21st, 2014 at 22:20
I always recommend Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow” to get a clear picture of American race relations.
Hass November 21st, 2014 at 22:28
I don’t understand what a criminal record has to do with voting. In Oz, one can vote from gaol if a person is serving under five years.
floyd[@]greenfloyd.org November 21st, 2014 at 23:20
I always recommend Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow” to get a clear picture of American race relations.
Tommy6860 November 21st, 2014 at 23:13
There’s no racism?? I’m telling you, since the 1995 takeover of congress by the GOP, I don’t know what happened to them, but they have been regressing on a social scale while moving forward in time. Right now, I place the GOP about pre-1950. A few more real examples of racism such as this, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the bigots (AKA GOP) foster another Plessy v. Ferguson.
Tommy6860 November 22nd, 2014 at 00:13
There’s no racism?? I’m telling you, since the 1995 takeover of congress by the GOP, I don’t know what happened to them, but they have been regressing on a social scale while moving forward in time. Right now, I place the GOP about pre-1950. A few more real examples of racism such as this, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the bigots (AKA GOP) foster another Plessy v. Ferguson.
bahlers November 22nd, 2014 at 03:52
How can there have been racism towards something before it was even ratified? The 15th Amendment wasn’t ratified until 1870, so how can you draw a causation to something that wasn’t law at the time?
Obewon November 22nd, 2014 at 07:54
Today’s Racism: the larger the state’s black population, the more likely the state was to pass the most stringent laws that permanently denied people convicted of crimes the right to vote. and the impact? It has also stripped one in every 13 black persons of the right to vote — a rate four times that of nonblacks nationally.
Alabama in 2014 7.2% of its citizens — and 15% of African-Americans — have lost the right to vote.
bahlers November 22nd, 2014 at 04:52
How can there have been racism towards something before it was even ratified? The 15th Amendment wasn’t ratified until 1870, so how can you draw a causation to something that wasn’t law at the time?
Obewon November 22nd, 2014 at 08:54
History repeats itself. Today’s conservatives are most afraid of everything “Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain” at the expense of tinier hope and optimism glands. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/conservatives-fear-center-brain/ Via http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201104/conservatives-big-fear-brain-study-finds e.g. ‘Fear based paranoia expressed as Racism’:- the larger the state’s black population, the more likely the state was to pass the most stringent laws that permanently denied people convicted of crimes the right to vote. and the impact? It has also stripped one in every 13 black persons of the right to vote — a rate four times that of nonblacks nationally.
GOP Voter disenfranchisement in Alabama today: 7.2% of its citizens — and 15% of African-Americans — have lost the right to vote. “Alabama House Speaker Indicted” on 23 felony charges after leading illegal Republican takeover of the state Legislature during the 2010 election. http://www.alan.com/2014/10/20/alabama-house-speaker-indicted/
ChrisVosburg November 22nd, 2014 at 12:25
No argument with the basic point of the post, but I think that “usually permanent” does somewhat overstate the frequency of felon disenfranchisement.
Yes, in some cases, in some states (11), a felon may be permanently disenfranchised. Alabama, for example makes it permanent for certain felonies, such as murder, rape, incest, sexual crime against children, and treason.
Helpful chart found here.
ChrisVosburg November 22nd, 2014 at 13:25
No argument with the basic point of the post, but I think that “usually permanent” does somewhat overstate the frequency of felon disenfranchisement.
Yes, in some cases, in some states (11), a felon may be permanently disenfranchised. Alabama, for example makes it permanent for certain felonies, such as murder, rape, incest, sexual crime against children, and treason.
Helpful chart found here.
thinkingwomanmillstone November 25th, 2014 at 13:08
There are also states where my son who has autism would be permanently not allowed to vote. He is however required to pay taxes in all states. He undoubtedly knows more about the issues surrounding voting than most people at the polls. He’s actually lobbied congress. He can explain the electoral college and the apportionment of representatives to Congress based on a state’s population…can your neighbor?
eyelashviper November 26th, 2014 at 12:11
Simply outrageous. Voting rights are RIGHTS, and should not be taken away by some absurd view.
As for felons, once they have served their time, the justice system releases them, so to take away such a basic rights sure seems unconstitutional.
(((thinkingwomanmillstone))) November 25th, 2014 at 14:08
There are also states where my son who has autism would be permanently not allowed to vote. He is however required to pay taxes in all states. He undoubtedly knows more about the issues surrounding voting than most people at the polls. He’s actually lobbied congress. He can explain the electoral college and the apportionment of representatives to Congress based on a state’s population…can your neighbor?
eyelashviper November 26th, 2014 at 13:11
Simply outrageous. Voting rights are RIGHTS, and should not be taken away by some absurd view.
As for felons, once they have served their time, the justice system releases them, so to take away such a basic rights sure seems unconstitutional.
cogitoergodavesum November 28th, 2014 at 18:27
Here’s a thought. If the judicial system is intended to rehabilitate criminals and encourage them to become decent, law abiding members of society, why not make voting part of the sentencing? Prisons run polling stations, and on release, parolees are required to show their parole officers proof of having voted in the most recent election. When your parole is up, youre free to resume not voting.
cogitoergodavesum November 28th, 2014 at 19:27
Here’s a thought. If the judicial system is intended to rehabilitate criminals and encourage them to become decent, law abiding members of society, why not make voting part of the sentencing? Prisons run polling stations, and on release, parolees are required to show their parole officers proof of having voted in the most recent election. When your parole is up, youre free to resume not voting.