(no subject)

[serene]

The best moment from yesterday was when a young man said he couldn't vote because he's a felon. I said, "Did you finish your parole?"

"Yes."

"Then you're an EX-felon, and you can vote."

"Are you SURE?!?!?"

I showed him the FAQ, where it says clearly that once you've served your parole, you can vote, and he was SO excited. He registered, and now he can't wait to vote in the election. He had been feeling really disappointed that he couldn't vote at such an important time.

(In my opinion, people should be able to vote even if they're on parole or in prison, but that's not the way it is in California, where I live and vote.)

Comments

[ailbhe]

YES yes yes yes yes yes yes!

I seem to recall that in the US, the insane may vote but the incarcerated may not, and in the UK it's the other way around.

Finding out that having served one's sentence doesn't return one's vote was a shock, from over here.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

In California, if a qualified professional has said you're incompetent, you may not vote.

[ailbhe]

I wonder how that's checked? I have no idea how it's done here.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

We have competence hearings here for other things (child custody, incarceration for crimes, etc.), but I imagine that in practical terms, it means that people who are psychiatric inpatients are denied the right to register to vote, and no one challenges it.

[redbird]

That's state-specific. I know that in New York, as in California, people who have finished serving their time get to vote. (I think people still on parole don't get to vote here either.)

[ailbhe]

The state-specific exceptions were what drew my attention to it, yeah. It... well, it's a very convenient way to stop the criminal classes voting, is what.

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's my big concern - just incarcerate enough of the people who disagree with you, and voila, stay in power for ever.