Disenfranchisement News: VA Essay Proposal Still Receiving Flack

In this issue

·         Virginia: Essay Proposal Still Receiving Flack » GO

·         National: NAACP Publishes Disenfranchisement Report » GO

·         National: Jewish Voice Commentary » GO

 

Contact Us

April 26, 2010

Disenfranchisement News

Virginia

Essay Proposal Still Receiving Flack

An article in the Springfield Connection reviewed the continuing debate surrounding Virginia Governor McDonnell and potential plans to add a written component to the voting restoration process for nonviolent offenders. Coming under fire from the Democratic Party of Virginia and advocates and organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, opponents said McDonnell's plan would discourage low-income residents and people who are not literate from applying.

The State Column reported that the recent movement has stirred up many advocates and sparked an ongoing debate.

A statement from David Mills, the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, was published online. An excerpt of the statement reads:

"Governor McDonnell should immediately remove this costly and burdensome barrier for non-violent offenders to renew their voting and 2nd Amendment rights. It's mind-boggling that Governor McDonnell would choose to bury the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office in unnecessary paperwork during a time of belt-tightening and budget cuts. Surely the Secretary's valuable time could be used in more productive ways than grading essays for Governor McDonnell.

"If Governor McDonnell wants to improve Virginia's prisoner reentry efforts, he should make it easier for those who have completed their sentence to fully integrate back into society … Virginia now may have surpassed Kentucky as the state with the most obstacles to reintegration for non-violent offenders who have served their sentence. Virginians should not be subjected to more bureaucracy getting in the way of their rights to vote, hunt, or exercise any other Constitutional rights."

National

LDF Publishes Disenfranchisement Report

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) recently released "Free the Vote: Unlocking Democracy in the Cells and on the Streets," which details the national impact of disfranchisement laws on communities of color.
"Regrettably, more than a century after emancipation, and in the 45th anniversary year of the Voting Rights Act, increasing numbers of Blacks and Latinos nationwide are actually losing their right to vote each day, rather than experiencing greater access to political participation," said Ryan P. Haygood, Co-Director of LDF's Political Participation Group.
The report found the following:

•    Nearly 2 million, or 38%, of the disfranchised are African Americans;
•    One in three of the next generation of Black men will be disfranchised at some point during their lifetime; and
•    In New York, though Blacks and Latinos collectively comprise only 30% of the State's overall population, they represent an astonishing 87% of those denied the right to vote because of a felony conviction.

The report can be downloaded by clicking here.

National

Jewish Voice Commentary

The Philadelphia Jewish Voice featured an opinion-editorial column on depoliticizing the criminal justice system that included a critique of disenfranchising laws.

"It is hard to imagine that the loss of one's vote would deter anyone from a life of crime," writes Dr. Daniel E. Loeb. "Furthermore, permanently barring someone from voting means that these citizens will never fully reenter society even after doing their time. If someone feels down and out and wants to implement change in society, don't we want them to do so with their vote …"

For more national news, click here.

Back to top ^