Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights to Felons

[JANFU]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/23/u...n-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

WASHINGTON — Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia used his executive power on Friday to restore voting rights to more than 200,000 convicted felons, circumventing his Republican-run Legislature. The action overturns a Civil War-era provision in the state’s Constitution aimed, he said, at disenfranchising African-Americans.

The sweeping order, in a swing state that could play a role in deciding the November presidential election, will enable all felons who have served their prison time and finished parole to register to vote. Most are African-Americans, a core constituency of Democrats, Mr. McAuliffe’s political party.

Thoughts are?
Governor made the right decision.
They served their time, debt to society has been paid.

Agree
Disagree
Not sure

 

[OrphanSlug]

Yes, best I can tell it seems like the right decision.

If someone has been convicted of a crime, served their sentence, fulfilled anything like parole or other dispositions of being still in the criminal justice system, and are now free can clear then there is no reason to prevent them from voting.

We have a real socioeconomic problem here branding someone with lifelong punishments after they have completed all aspects of the criminal justice system for the crime found guilty of. Moreover, we do exactly what Republicans want... disenfranchise those who would probably vote for the other guy.

 

[Fenton]

Dems need all the votes they can get and if they have to give felons their right to vote back, then so be it.
Fortunately for everyone else, felons accout for a slim majority of overall voters

Guess the Democrats will have to continue flooding this Natuon with illegals then

 

[HenryChinaski]

I don't really have an opinion on this, however for those of you that support the decision, what if they're sex offenders?

 

[WCH]

The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia


Thoughts are?
Governor made the right decision.
They served their time, debt to society has been paid.

Agree
Disagree
Not sure

Pandering to his constitutes.

But, likely a high percentage of criminals would vote for the party with the loosest morals. Goes without saying.

 

[humbolt]

He's trying his damnedest to put Virginia in the Hillary column next fall.

 

[American]

Yes, best I can tell it seems like the right decision.

If someone has been convicted of a crime, served their sentence, fulfilled anything like parole or other dispositions of being still in the criminal justice system, and are now free can clear then there is no reason to prevent them from voting.

We have a real socioeconomic problem here branding someone with lifelong punishments after they have completed all aspects of the criminal justice system for the crime found guilty of. Moreover, we do exactly what Republicans want... disenfranchise those who would probably vote for the other guy.

Sorry, he just circumvented the constitution. That's not the way you do it. You put up a referendum to change the constitution.

 

[American]

Dems need all the votes they can get and if they have to give felons their right to vote back, then so be it.
Fortunately for everyone else, felons accout for a slim majority of overall voters

Guess the Democrats will have to continue flooding this Natuon with illegals then

Well, they are okay with dead people voting.

 

[yankintx]

Dems need all the votes they can get and if they have to give felons their right to vote back, then so be it.
Fortunately for everyone else, felons accout for a slim majority of overall voters

Guess the Democrats will have to continue flooding this Natuon with illegals then

Is that envy, or jealousy? lol

Must suck seeing your party splitting at the seams, and the Donald handing the WH to another Clinton lol

 

[ToastyOats]

I don't really have an opinion on this, however for those of you that support the decision, what if they're sex offenders?

I support the decision regardless of the felony.

Besides, what kind of sex offender?

Child rape?
Possessing an image of child pornography?
Statuatory between a 16 and 15 year old?
Peeing on the side of the building?

 

[ToastyOats]

He's trying his damnedest to put Virginia in the Hillary column next fall.

With Trump it'd be easy put Utah into play lol.

 

[OrphanSlug]

Sorry, he just circumvented the constitution. That's not the way you do it. You put up a referendum to change the constitution.

The State or Federal Constitution?

Last I checked of the US Constitution, Congress does not have the power to force states to allow felons to vote in elections. The Constitution, and the Fourteenth Amendment I thought, grants this determination to the states on the qualifications of voters and to disqualify anyone who "participates... in crime."

Do I have this wrong?

 

[HenryChinaski]

I support the decision regardless of the felony.

Besides, what kind of sex offender?

Child rape?
Possessing an image of child pornography?
Statuatory between a 16 and 15 year old?
Peeing on the side of the building?

felonious sex offenses that would require them to register as sex offenders for life and live nowhere near parks or schools.

 

[humbolt]

With Trump it'd be easy put Utah into play lol.

It surely would be. It could be an even more unusual election than it has been so far, and it's been strange enough already.

 

[American]

The State or Federal Constitution?

Last I checked of the US Constitution, Congress does not have the power to force states to allow felons to vote in elections. The Constitution, and the Fourteenth Amendment I thought, grants this determination to the states on the qualifications of voters and to disqualify anyone who "participates... in crime."

Do I have this wrong?

The post I responded to clearly talked about the state constitution.

 

[Paleocon]

The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia


Thoughts are?
Governor made the right decision.
They served their time, debt to society has been paid.

Agree
Disagree
Not sure

Banning felons from voting is only logical. And commutations should be individual, not en masse.

 

[Ntharotep]

I chose unsure because it is not clear in the article (I skimmed it though to be fair) if this covers only released convicted felons (which I'm Ok with) or those still in prison which I am not Ok with. Prison is a punishment. Prisoners should not be rewarded....well anything really other than what is necessary to keep them alive so they can serve society (preferably through those "unfair" labor practices).

Once a criminal has done their time then of course they should be given back their freedoms (except in cases where it makes sense for them not to own a gun, work in certain fields, etc. depending on the crime committed).

 

[ToastyOats]

felonious sex offenses that would require them to register as sex offenders for life and live nowhere near parks or schools.

So certain felons could have their votng rights restored?

Nah, I say if you do your time, you should be allowed to vote again.

 

[Fearandloathing]

It surely would be. It could be an even more unusual election than it has been so far, and it's been strange enough already.

Prisoners in Canada have always had the right to vote. The broke a law not stopped being Canadians

 

[JANFU]

Pandering to his constitutes.

But, likely a high percentage of criminals would vote for the party with the loosest morals. Goes without saying.

Person serves their sentence, released, they have paid their debt to society. Or have they not?
Should they ever regain the right to vote?

 

[humbolt]

Prisoners in Canada have always had the right to vote. The broke a law not stopped being Canadians

I'm not overly concerned other than the fact that this was done in an election year by a governor who shares a bed with the Clintons. It's transparently political. Outside of perhaps a few of his friends that are probably affected, McAuliffe doesn't give a **** about the rights of these people or the lack of them. He cares about their propensity to vote democrat in the upcoming election.

 

[Fearandloathing]

I'm not overly concerned other than the fact that this was done in an election year by a governor who shares a bed with the Clintons. It's transparently political. Outside of perhaps a few of his friends that are probably affected, McAuliffe doesn't give a **** about the rights of these people or the lack of them. He cares about their propensity to vote democrat in the upcoming election.

Are you surprised? It's not only the Clintons who play these games, seems everyone should be used to it by now.

And now you see the problem with removing rights of people, it becomes a political game very quickly.

 

[azgreg]

Dems need all the votes they can get and if they have to give felons their right to vote back, then so be it.
Fortunately for everyone else, felons accout for a slim majority of overall voters

Guess the Democrats will have to continue flooding this Natuon with illegals then

How do you know that they are not republicans?

 

[WCH]

Person serves their sentence, released, they have paid their debt to society. Or have they not?
Should they ever regain the right to vote?

Depends on what they did and if they should relapse.

As someone mentioned before...if they committed a sex crime, would they tend to vote for politicians who would be soft on those crimes? [the Left tends to promote them}

 

[azgreg]

Depends on what they did and if they should relapse.

As someone mentioned before...if they committed a sex crime, would they tend to vote for politicians who would be soft on those crimes? [the Left tends to promote them}

If they committed a white collar crime, would they tend to vote for politicians who would be soft on those crimes?


See what I did there?