Even felons should participate in democracy

The coming election is extremely important, and both parties are working for all the votes they can get, including that of former convicts.

Convicts in California should be able to exercise the right to vote. Through voting the voice of a former felon is the same as everyone else's. The premise of democracy is that everyone has a voice. Excluding felons from voting undermines the representation of democracy, especially since they regain their other rights, such as marriage, property and the right to purchase weapons.At some point, a felon's record is cleared enough for voting rights. Many ex-felons are not allowed to vote because of past convictions, even though they are free now. Only 35 states forbid convicts from voting. Seven of those permanently ban felons from voting, even once they've been released.

According to the Los Angeles Times, around 164,000 of California's population is in jail. Many of these convicts have the right to vote. By not allowing convicts to vote, there is a kind of prejudice being performed. Minorities are the largest population in jail in California, according to www.criticalresistance.org.

In the past, the Supreme Court has ruled that the ability to vote in America is imperative to our democracy, whether or not that person has committed a crime. These criminals have paid for their crimes and are being re-released into society. They regain all of their rights, why not the right to participate in government decisions by voting?

There is a procedure for criminals to have their rights fully restored, but it is so confusing that rarely do people try. According to the minutes of the Senate committee on judiciary from May 29, 1999, Nevada law allows rights to be reinstated in five years, but ex-convicts receive a letter that says it takes ten years, and the parole board meets just twice a year. Assemblyman Wendell P. Williams stated that he only knew of two people who took the time to get their rights back.

Getting civil rights reinstated is a long and expensive process and many people in jail simply do not have the time or money. Because of the large amount of poor or minorities incarcerated, this serves a political purpose in saying that their vote does not count. Among those with voting rights, each vote counts as much as the next. It is difficult to find information about getting rights back, and most of these people are working to support themselves or their families and rejoining society that they do not make the effort to vote.

It is easy to think the system does not care about former criminals because their voices are discounted.

Former convicts should be allowed the right to vote as part of their reintroduction into society. These people have paid their dues. Let them have a voice.