HOW THE U.S. JUSTICE SYSTEM

DISENFRANCHISES ITS CITIZENS

AMARRA BROWN // STAFF

Aquestion I faced when this article topic was pitched to me is a question many others reading this article may share: What is disenfranchisement? Simply explained, disenfranchisement is when someone is deprived of the right or privilege to vote. In the United States today, many citizens face this ongoing issue.

While it is still very relevant in today’s society, disenfranchisement isn’t a new issue. In fact, it dates back to as early as the 20th century! Following the period in America known as the Reconstruction Era, disenfranchisement began in the former Confederate Southern states at the turn of the 20th century, as well as by Oklahoma in 1907 when it gained statehood. However, former border slave states did not participate in the act of disenfranchisement. Between 1890 and 1908, Southern legislatures passed new constitutions, constitutional amendments, and laws that made voter registration more difficult for minority citizens, especially when being administered by white staff in a discriminatory way. Disenfranchisement not only affected citizens during this time, but also Congress itself, by giving the Democratic-solid South 25 extra seats in Congress each decade between 1903 and 1953. Political disenfranchisement didn’t end until after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which authorized the federal government to enforce constitutional voting rights amongst all citizens.

Today, millions of Americans face being disenfranchised from the United States’ Democratic process on the basis of these laws. Most of these citizens are former convicted felons, thus, causing them to be excluded from certain privileges based on current state laws on disenfranchisement. These laws include stripping voting rights from people with former criminal convictions, which vary widely among states. For example, in Kentucky and Iowa, a lifetime disenfranchisement can be imposed upon all people with felony convictions. The only exception to this is the government granting an individual pardon. These states are only 2 out of 32 states that exclude citizens from voting, solely on the basis of past convictions. However, there are 16 states, including Nevada, Colorado, and Rhode Island, that restore voting rights automatically after an individual is released from prison. Other methods of disenfranchisement, which are not exclusive to convicted felons, include, but aren’t limited to: educational and character requirements, poll taxes, etc.

Although to some it may seem as a dark figure of America’s past, disenfranchisement is still very much a current issue. There needs to be a stop put to it. Just think, it could happen to you or someone you love, next.