As the upcoming election draws near and people prepare to exert their constitutional right to vote, social media is abuzz over whether everyone is covered by that 19th amendment right.
People convicted of felonies who are on parole aren’t eligible to vote in many states, including California, but that could change if voters approve Proposition 17.
The measure would allow people on parole for felony convictions the right to vote once again or even for their first time, according to Ballotpedia, a website that provides information about elections.
Compared to other states, California is considered lenient when it comes to voting rights for convicted felons. Only two states, Maine and Vermont, allow people who are incarcerated to vote. Most states have eliminated this option.
Supporters weighed in on why California voters should broaden the rights of convicted felons in this way.
“We can’t talk about equity in our election if we don’t include everyone that should have the right to vote,” said Shay Franco-Clausen, a community leader and board member of the Democratic Activist for Women Now in San Jose, a partisan group that pushes progressive policies and candidates. She noted that some people were imprisoned before they even had the opportunity to vote.
One such person is Veronica Hernandez, 29, a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area.
“I was incarcerated at the age of 16, so I never actually had the opportunity, the right, to vote. It was taken from me before I had it, so to have the opportunity…it would be a great experience. It would be liberating,” said Hernandez, a case manager at H-O-M-E-Y, a nonprofit that tackles adversities affecting young people.
She notes that ironically, she has helped steer young people away from the kind of lifestyle she had and yet, she still faces struggles related to being formerly incarcerated.
Opponents, including state Sen. Jim Nielsen, (R-Tehama), said certain criminal behavior justifies a loss of rights for individuals. According to Ballotpedia, he wrote, “Let’s talk a little about the universe we are dealing with here. They include murderers, voluntary manslaughter, rape, sodomists. For those that commit the crimes, particularly the heinous crimes, part of their sentence is to complete the parole period.”
The complete 2020 voter guide is available here.
Community News reporters are enrolled in JOUR 3910 – University Times. They produce stories about under-covered neighborhoods and small cities on the Eastside and South Los Angeles. Please email feedback, corrections and story tips to [email protected].
Jose carlos Barbosa • Dec 17, 2020 at 1:31 pm
Very interesting story. I Really appreciate your Direct honesty about your surroundings . Just the other day a very Dear friend we where conversing about this topic , how people could be so cruel we’ve known each other since high school . And I never heard him use that word cruel. We both speak English and Spanish . I told him yes you’ll be baffled bye how many people are that way. I told him look at case with worker Comp almost 3 years, They knowingly deliberately and consciously doing that cruelty .Thank you. Be safe maybe my story will help others.