The right to vote shouldnt be determined by how much money is in someones bank account.
Yet for tens of thousands of people in Washington, lack of money is exactly what keeps them from casting a ballot.
They are the convicted felons who have served their time in prison and have returned to society. As Washingtons law stands now, they cant vote until they have paid all their restitution and other court fees.
For many, that means theyll never vote again.
But the law might change. A measure has been approved in the House that would break the financial condition that keeps so many former prisoners from voting. The bill now is making its way through the Senate.
If approved, the right to vote no longer would be tied to a persons income.
That would be an improvement in more ways than one.
Not only would it make the system more fair, but it also would simplify it. Secretary of State Sam Reed, who is in charge of elections for the state, has said determining which convicted felons are legal voters and which are not has been a difficult task.
Its easy to track people when they are released from prison; its not so easy to find out if they have paid all their debts. Reed, a Republican, supports the bill, saying, When people have served their time and are out of prison, we want them to get involved in their community and get connected.
Opponents of the measure say criminals should completely pay for their crimes including debts before they are allowed the same rights as everyone else.
In 2007, the state Supreme Court agreed with that idea and upheld the current law after it was challenged by three felons
who wanted their voting rights restored. One of them was disabled and living on Social Security. He made monthly payments toward his restitution, but in the meantime couldnt vote because the debt was not paid in full.
Chief Justice Gerry Alexander wrote the dissenting opinion, saying, As a society, we should encourage, rather than discourage, felons to rehabilitate themselves. As members of this society, we all benefit when those who have failed in the past to fully live up to their responsibilities as a citizen become full-fledged citizens who again can exercise the cherished right to vote.
Although the majority of the court agreed current law did not violate the state or federal constitutions, it also said it should be up to the Legislature to determine the best policy for re-enfranchising Washingtons felons.
So now the Legislature is making that decision.
Most states around the country are less restrictive than Washington on this matter. Oregon, for example, allows convicted felons the right to vote as soon as they are released from prison. About 40 other states and the District of Columbia have rules more lenient than Washingtons.
Current law penalizes the poor and creates a voter registration headache. Its time it was changed.
Voting rights shouldnt be tied to a persons income, no matter who that person is.
Similar stories:
Ex-Portland cop says stress led to Kennewick sex crimes
Ex-Portland cop says stress led to Kennewick sex crimes
KENNEWICK — Ryan Graichen claims it started in 2000 when a shotgun was pointed at him while working as a Portland police officer and he watched his partner shoot the suspect dead.
That incident kept playing in his mind like a movie, yet the sights, sounds and smells all were real.
To escape the daily flashbacks and sleepless nights, the married man turned to his computer during a required leave from work and found adult pornography.
AP Exclusive: Ill. torture panel strapped for cash
AP Exclusive: Ill. torture panel strapped for cash
A commission created by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn nearly two years ago with the ambitious goal of righting the wrongs of Chicago's police torture scandal is quietly falling apart, another apparent victim of the state's budget mess.
Gay marriage in Washington creates personal divide
Gay marriage in Washington creates personal divide
After 36 years of celebrating anniversaries and Valentine’s Days, of arguments and make-ups, of raising children and growing old, Larry Gettmann and Jack Frisch of Kennewick can’t think of themselves as anything other than “married.”
It doesn’t really matter to them how the state or any church describes them. The only validation they need for their relationship comes from each other.
But soon, Washington likely will confirm in law what Gettmann, 69, and Frisch, 71, already know in their hearts.
They are one of almost 10,000 couples registered as domestic partners whose relationships will be re-defined as marriage under a bill pending in the state Legislature.
Washington state budget debate to begin
Washington state budget debate to begin
Talking about a $2 billion deficit in Washington can seem unreal -- it's a number almost too big for the average person to imagine, but one that might have very real consequences for thousands of Tri-Citians.
And it's the number that will be the focus of lawmakers' discussion and debate as the Legislature convenes in a 30-day special session Monday to tackle that deficit before it ordinarily would meet to write a supplemental budget starting in January.
The actual shortfall between projected revenue and the biennial budget as written is about $1.4 billion, but Gov. Chris Gregoire is asking lawmakers to cut enough to leave $600 million in reserves.
Washington state budget debate to begin
Washington state budget debate to begin
Talking about a $2 billion deficit in Washington can seem unreal -- it's a number almost too big for the average person to imagine, but one that might have very real consequences for thousands of Tri-Citians.
And it's the number that will be the focus of lawmakers' discussion and debate as the Legislature convenes in a 30-day special session Monday to tackle that deficit before it ordinarily would meet to write a supplemental budget starting in January.
The actual shortfall between projected revenue and the biennial budget as written is about $1.4 billion, but Gov. Chris Gregoire is asking lawmakers to cut enough to leave $600 million in reserves.
Print
Email Story
