A bill was introduced in the senate and referred to the judiciary committee which insures the right to vote to those who have been excluded from voting in federal elections due to a felony conviction. This bill provides that if the person has served his or her sentence, and they are on probation, they have the right to vote.
I applaud Mr. Feingold and others who are responsible for creating and promoting this bill. It is my sense that most people would be in favor of this bill, but the issue of the rights of former prison inmates has been overlooked in the past. S.1516 is long overdue.
If someone has served their time and is preparing to integrate into society, S.1516 makes it possible to accomplish this by insuring these former inmates the right to vote in federal elections. When someone has finished a prison sentence, it is the hope that he or she will again assume their role as responsible citizens. The alternative is that the person will repeat the offense and will be sent back to prison. If this happens, there are no winners. If a person does not have the right to vote, it will be difficult for them to assume their place as citizens of this nation.
Through out the history of this country, many groups of people have faced exclusion from the democratic process based on their race and their thnicity. In recent years, we have seen these barriers struck down. S.1516 removes the barrier to inclusion for former prison inmates. Inclusion is at the heart of democracy. If certain groups of people are excluded, we cannot claim to be a democratic nation. For a democracy to truly function, everyone must have a voice.