OpEd: Restoring Voting Rights to the Disenfranchised

 

By Hill Harper 

As the Republican National Convention comes to a close and the Democrats gear up for next week, there is one looming question about the focus each party will place on voting rights—an issue that was not front and center during the presidential debates but should be at the forefront of national discussion as we approach the general election.

If and when they do turn to voting rights, there is much to address—most especially concerning the restoration of voting rights for returning citizens. Our democracy is strengthened when as many eligible citizens as possible are able to freely participate in elections. However, in 2016, many states are holding firm to laws that deny Americans the right to vote because of a prior criminal conviction from their past.

So-called "felony disenfranchisement" laws hurt people with criminal histories and their home communities. Publicly available data demonstrates that an estimated 5.85 million Americans are currently disenfranchised as a result of these arcane laws. 

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Hill Harper is an award-winning actor, bestselling author, philanthropist and national spokesperson for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Source: NBC News