Majority of Americans Say Voting Rights Should be Restored for People with Felony Convictions

Karina Schroeder Former Communications Manager
Mar 22, 2018

Most Americans believe that people with conviction histories should have their voting rights restored as soon as they’ve completed their sentences, according to a new poll from YouGov/Huffington Post.

A solid majority—63 percent—of those surveyed agreed that people with felony convictions should not be permanently barred from voting. This consensus spanned the political spectrum.

An estimated six million people are currently disenfranchised, with the process for restoring voting rights differing from state to state. Some states automatically restore rights once someone has completed their sentence. Others restore rights as soon as someone is released from incarceration. In four states—Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Iowa—regaining the right to vote is extremely difficult, and often means that certain people with histories of justice involvement never vote again. Alabama recently restored voting rights for thousands of people with felony convictions.

Read the full poll results here. And, read how more and more states are acting on public support to restore voting rights