Restoring the Right to Vote
Publications

By Erika Wood
– 02/26/08

The right to vote forms the core of American democracy. Our history is marked by successful struggles to expand the franchise, to include those previously barred from the electorate because of race, class, or gender. As a result our democracy is richer, more diverse, and more representative of the people than ever before. There remains, however, one significant blanket barrier to the franchise. 5.3 million American citizens are not allowed to vote because of a felony conviction. As many as 4 million of these people live, work and raise families in our communities, but because of a conviction in their past they are still denied the right to vote....

> Download entire report here.

 

---

About the Author

 

Erika Wood is Deputy Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, spearheading the Brennan Center's Right to Vote Project. Previously, Ms. Wood was an attorney with the Legal Action Center where she litigated cases involving HIV/AIDS discrimination and privacy, and worked on various criminal justice issues including felony re-enfranchisement. She is the primary author of two reports which documented the continuing illegal disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions in New York and Alabama, both of which launched major to reform. 

Tags: Democracy, Voting After Criminal Conviction, Voting Rights & Elections