A first-of-its-kind online tool has been released at RestoreYourVote.org to help as many as 23 million citizens with past felony convictions understand their voting rights in all 50 states and take the necessary steps in the process to exercise their right to vote before the November 2018 election. A majority of this group of Americans – as many as 17 million people – should be able to vote right away if they just understand their rights. Many more are eligible to apply to restore their right to vote. CLC hopes to educate as many people as possible between now and the election by providing an online roadmap for rights restoration.
Felony disenfranchisement laws disproportionately affect people of color, preventing them from having a voice. Nationwide, one in every 13 Black adults cannot vote as the result of a felony conviction. That is compared to one in 56 non-black adults.
We can’t overturn all discriminatory voting laws overnight. But while we fight them in court, we are minimizing the harmful impact of these laws by clearing up the confusion and misinformation that prevents many people with past felony convictions throughout the country from voting,” said Danielle Lang, senior legal counsel, voting rights and redistricting at Campaign Legal Center.
Visit RestoreYourVote.org to learn about the path to rights restoration.