Discussion Whether Should Felons Be Allowed to Vote

Only about 62% of the US population votes. Most of those people who aren’t able to vote are prisoners. Since prisoners aren’t able to vote, their voices can't be heard. Not allowing them to be heard causes them to not be able to make a decision that can influence the result. In addition, having them stripped away from the normal world doesn't mean to take away their rights. Prisoners having the right and opportunity to vote permits them to have a presence in society and in the should felons be allowed to vote essay we will discuss why.

To commence, Prisoners should be allowed to vote since their voices should still be heard and noticed. Others may say that their voices shouldnt be heard since they did something to have it taken away but the following evidence provides enough to argue that they should have a say in what's going on in the outside world. The Institution for Policy Innovation- “Should People in Prison Be Allowed to Vote”, they imply, “But she worried about what the country was going to look like in a year when she would be released, and she was concerned about the economic future for herself and her family. She wanted to vote, but as a felon in prison, she could not. ‘I was scared to death,’ she said. ‘It was a feeling of complete powerlessness, like my voice didn’t matter'. This quote from the article explains that when someone is in a prison, they feel as though they can’t help with changes going on in their government or economy. Since they don't have the chance to be heard, they wouldn't know what could have happened throughout their time in prison. They also state, “‘Once someone pays their debt to society, they’re out there expected to pay taxes, they’re expected to abide by the law, they’re expected to support themselves and their families. I think that means they’ve got a right to vote,’ Warren, from Massachusetts”. Since they have to automatically get accustomed to the world after spending time in a facility, they should be given the right to vote. Not only are they paying taxes for the government but also earning money for their loved ones, they should have a voice in elections and laws. The final reason points out, “‘When I got out, it made a big difference to be able to vote. It made me feel like a citizen again,’ said Matthew, who was arrested in 2000 and incarcerated for 15 years. He now lives in Salt Lake City. ‘And knowing that a lot of people who have been through the criminal justice system can’t vote, I felt like I was casting a ballot for them too”. After being in the system for so long and not being able to vote or even declare their decision, it feels better being able to have your voice heard. And considering that you feel that you are making the people in the system’s view be seen shows that they should have been allowed to vote in the first place to not feel as though they are useless and hopeless.

Moreover, when prisoners are eligible to vote, they can influence the final decision of the election that they are voting for. On the opposite side of the argument, some say that their votes don't really change the outcome of what they're voting for. But, in the City Journal-“Should Felons Vote?” it says, “When they do get to vote, convicts and ex-cons tend to pull the lever for the Left. Had ex-felons been able to vote in Florida in 2000—the state permanently strips all felons of voting rights—Al Gore almost certainly would have won the presidential election”. This excerpt shows that if those prisoners voted and not just the citizens who are able to walk freely then the opposite party could have won and the election and things could have been different from then on. Allowing them to choose the new head of government or for the new seat in the senate can also, hopefully, change the laws for the ones who were wrongfully convicted and maybe even give a chance to those who don't deserve such a harsh punishment. Furthermore, they also state, “The liberal advocates and Democratic politicians seeking the enfranchisement of felons deny any narrow political motivation”. This quote shows that people think that the left side wants to use them to win. In reality, they only want to give them the privilege to vote for who they want to vote for and not to promote their campaign. Based on the quotes, prisoners should be given the right to vote to influence and help with the changes that are happening around them.

To end up, although they are separated from the rest of society for what they've done, they shouldn't have basic rights taken away from them and shouldnt be treated as someone who never existed or doesn't exist.