Felon Voting Rights Vary Across U.S. States

In Montana, Attorney General Austin Knudsen ruled that convicted felons, including those in psychiatric facilities, are ineligible to vote, reinforcing state constitutional provisions. Meanwhile, Cook County Jail in Illinois continues to empower detainees to engage in voting, offering civics classes and facilitating voting processes. In Pennsylvania, similar efforts are made to assist eligible incarcerated individuals with voting, highlighting the ongoing debate around voting rights for the incarcerated. A report by The Sentencing Project underscores the impact of disenfranchisement laws in the Gulf South, noting that millions remain unable to vote due to past felony convictions, particularly affecting Black voters. Nebraska's Supreme Court recently mandated the restoration of voting rights to former felons, a decision seen as a counter to broader Republican efforts to restrict such rights nationwide. This juxtaposition of state practices illustrates the complex landscape of voting rights for individuals with criminal convictions across the United States.