Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Should felons be allowed to vote?
Position‹3 of 5›
Felons should be able to vote even while in prison
Argument‹2 of 3›

Voting is a right

All citizens have the right to vote. We should not deprive anyone, even prisoners, of this right, because it is fundamental to democracy. Disenfranchising certain people gives the government more room to deprive others of voting rights.

The argument

Voting is a fundamental part of democracy. It is a basic right that ensures all citizens can have an equal say in choosing their elected officials. By virtue of being a country's citizen, a prisoner deserves the right to vote. The state should not be able to take this right away because of someone's actions, especially when over 50% of felonies are non-violent. If we create criteria that people must meet to retain their voting rights, the government could expand these to disenfranchise more and more people. This could lead to a society in which the government essentially chooses who can and cannot vote. Religious, political, and ethnic minorities could lose their voting rights because of the government's disapproval.

Premises

[P1]Voting is a fundamental, basic right of democracy that gives every citizen an equal say, and prisoners remain citizens, especially as over 50% of felonies are non-violent. [P2] Allowing the state to strip voting rights based on conduct sets criteria that could be expanded to disenfranchise religious, political, and ethnic minorities the government disapproves of. [C] Therefore, because voting is a right the state should not take away, felons should be able to vote even while in prison.

Counter-arguments

Voting is not a right that is afforded to everyone. It is not ratified in the Constitution, and some people, like children or people who aren't citizens, are unable to vote. While voting may be an important part of democracy, it is not something that should inherently be afforded to everyone. It is a privilege that people must earn. Felons have proven that they do not deserve this privilege.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Voting is not an inherent right.