Should Felons be Allowed to Vote? Florida to Have Referendum

[Arlenton]

Gives me an idea to help solve overcrowding in prisons. Don't sentence people for victimless crimes. Just take away their right to vote.

thats even worse.

How's it worse? People still get punished, and prisons aren't overcrowding.

[Free Republics]

Current prison inmates should not be allowed to vote but those who have "served their time" and "paid their debt to society" should have the same rights as anybody else.

[Telconi]

I'm not sure we want criminals voting. Seems likely they would just vote to legalize the very criminal acts that put them in prison in the first place.

[Proctopeo]

Depends on the felony TBH.

[San Lumen]

No I dont agree with that.

Why not?

No state gives prisoners the right to vote. Your their to serve time and be away from society. someone who is spending life in prison should have zero say in who elected officials are as they will never walk the streets again or contribute anything to society

[Pilarcraft]

I'd debate that even a 18 and lower should be allowed to vote... well, if they can pass a level of knowledge on wtf they're doing (they can read, they can make personal decisions freely (well, as freely as a person can irl) they can fucking pronounce the main ideology of the people in the party etc etc) but I don't have any problems with criminals voting. it's not like they lose their identity as a legal citizen by committing a crime

[Salandriagado]

Doesn't go far enough, in my opinion. Prisons should have polling booths, as far as I'm concerned.

Ya no.

Why not? In particular, why should governments be able to disenfranchise their opponents by getting them convicted of something?

[White North America]

voting is a privilege not a right when you commit a crime and are labeled as a felon you lose rights that you once had. I agree with Etats confederes d Amerique

so someone whose served say a year in prison should be barred from voting for life?

If they become a convicted felon or the crime they committed is horrendous then yes why should someone who violates the law get to vote to help decide on a law or other things you vote on

[San Lumen]

I'm not sure we want criminals voting. Seems likely they would just vote to legalize the very criminal acts that put them in prison in the first place.

Are you for real? what a stupid argument. what criminal acts are they going to vote to legalize?

[Aillyria]

I agree with this and hope it passes. I'm glad they kept the disenfranchisement of sex offenders though, good call.

[Arlenton]

I'm not sure we want criminals voting. Seems likely they would just vote to legalize the very criminal acts that put them in prison in the first place.

Are you for real? what a stupid argument. what criminal acts are they going to vote to legalize?

Marijuana legalization.

[Conservative Values]

People who committed violent crimes should not regain the right to vote.

No longer feasible to keep you locked up =/= paid for past mistakes. Especially when we release people early to reduce overcrowding fairly often. Rapists have never made up for their past actions. Murderers have never made up for their past actions.

If it has been proven you've made a conscious decision to rob someone else of their rights, I have no sympathy the consequence is permanently losing some of yours. You can't give back what you took away, why should anyone give back to you?

Now if it is a non-violent crime / victim-less crime, then I'm more on board. But now is not the time for a Harvey Weinstein Suffrage Amendment.

[Salandriagado]

thats even worse.

How's it worse? People still get punished, and prisons aren't overcrowding.

Because that's step 1 in "how to set up a dictatorship 101".

[San Lumen]

so someone whose served say a year in prison should be barred from voting for life?

If they become a convicted felon or the crime they committed is horrendous then yes why should someone who violates the law get to vote to help decide on a law or other things you vote on

Because voting is a right not a privilege.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Let them vote, if no other reason then because they're still US citizens

[Salandriagado]

I'm not sure we want criminals voting. Seems likely they would just vote to legalize the very criminal acts that put them in prison in the first place.

And? If enough people think they should be legal for that to happen, why shouldn't they be legal?

[Constitutional Technocracy of Minecraft]

It hasn't even been voted on yet. Why should someone whose served their time be permanently barred from voting?

voting is a privilege not a right when you commit a crime and are labeled as a felon you lose rights that you once had. I agree with Etats confederes d Amerique

Voting is a human right under international law, not a privilege.

[Arlenton]

How's it worse? People still get punished, and prisons aren't overcrowding.

Because that's step 1 in "how to set up a dictatorship 101".

I wish.

[Telconi]

I'm not sure we want criminals voting. Seems likely they would just vote to legalize the very criminal acts that put them in prison in the first place.

Are you for real? what a stupid argument. what criminal acts are they going to vote to legalize?

Whatever the hell they got incarcerated for in the first place.

[San Lumen]

People who committed violent crimes should not regain the right to vote.

No longer feasible to keep you locked up =/= paid for past mistakes. Especially when we release people early to reduce overcrowding fairly often. Rapists have never made up for their past actions. Murderers have never made up for their past actions.

If it has been proven you've made a conscious decision to rob someone else of their rights, I have no sympathy the consequence is permanently losing some of yours. You can't give back what you took away, why should anyone give back to you?

Now if it is a non-violent crime / victim-less crime, then I'm more on board. But now is not the time for a Harvey Weinstein Suffrage Amendment.

Did you read the article or OP? those guilty of murder or violent sex crimes are exempt from the amendment.

[Salandriagado]

Why not?

No state gives prisoners the right to vote. Your their to serve time and be away from society. someone who is spending life in prison should have zero say in who elected officials are as they will never walk the streets again or contribute anything to society

"Nobody in the US does it" is not an argument. Your second sentence is utterly irrelevant. As to the third, life without parole shouldn't be a thing.

[Arlenton]

voting is a privilege not a right when you commit a crime and are labeled as a felon you lose rights that you once had. I agree with Etats confederes d Amerique

Voting is a human right under international law, not a privilege.

Who's enforcing it?

[Constitutional Technocracy of Minecraft]

I'm not sure we want criminals voting. Seems likely they would just vote to legalize the very criminal acts that put them in prison in the first place.

Well, IMO victimless crimes should be legal

[San Lumen]

Are you for real? what a stupid argument. what criminal acts are they going to vote to legalize?

Whatever the hell they got incarcerated for in the first place.

Thats a ridiculous argument.

[Ifreann]

Doesn't go far enough, in my opinion. Prisons should have polling booths, as far as I'm concerned.

Now you're speaking my language.