Karen Lee and Amanda DuBois: Felony conviction isn’t a lifetime voting ban

Voting is a fundamental right in this country, and to continue to bar or discourage formerly incarcerated individuals from exercising this right is tantamount to a life sentence of exclusion from being a full-fledged member of our society. We must make a concerted effort to inform people of their rights and encourage them to get involved on issues that impact their lives. It is not acceptable to say that we want people to successfully reintegrate back into our communities while doing little to actually engage them as full members of our society.

It is a common myth that a felony conviction means a person can never vote. While different states and levels of jurisdiction have different rules that can be confusing (perhaps even intentionally so), in Washington state people released from state prison can vote once they are off community supervision, and those released from federal prison are eligible to vote as soon as they leave incarceration.

There is also a misconception that people must go through a complicated process to have voting rights reinstated, when, in fact, in most states they simply need to register. Many people have been told they must pay off all fines and fees (commonly referred to in the criminal justice system as legal financial obligations) before they can vote in Washington state. Also untrue.

Mass incarceration has reached a crisis level in this country. As a result, changes to the criminal justice system are being debated at the federal, state and local levels. Public and political perspectives on the usefulness of incarceration – especially for lower level crimes – are changing. Cost-effective and evidence-based solutions such as reduced sentencing for nonviolent drug offenses, sentencing alternatives through specialized courts that treat substance abuse and mental health disorders, and effective re-entry policies that promote employment and housing options for people with criminal records are on the table for today’s elected officials to decide.

While people who have experienced incarceration are an important voice on these matters, they are often excluded from the process because they are not registered to vote. This only serves to further marginalize and isolate people who have paid their debt to society, and too often it is based on a simple lack of accurate information about their rights.

Our communities will be even stronger when all of our members have a voice. Perhaps Lyndon B. Johnson said it best: “This right to vote is the basic right without which all others are meaningless. It gives people, people as individuals, control over their own destinies.”

We can do better.

Karen Lee, CEO of Pioneer Human Services, is a member of the newly created Statewide Reentry Council. Amanda DuBois is the creative founder and CEO of Civil Survival.