
Every year, about 5.85 million Americans are locked out of the vote. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
Approximately 5.85 million people that have paid their debt to society and are productive citizens, aren’t allowed all the privileges of full citizenship. These people are not guilty of voter fraud or any crimes that may warrant this type of punishment. Legislation in forty-eight states, with the exception of Maine and Vermont, exclude convicted felons from voting and the ability to regain this right varies from state to state. Individuals affected by this policy mirror the population found in our prisons and are mainly African American and Latino, effectively barring about 1 out of 13 African Americans from the polls.