Should felons be allowed to vote?

This position holds that felons should regain the vote once they have served their sentence. It argues that, having paid their debt to society, they should not be punished indefinitely — that all their rights should be restored, and that taxation without representation is unjust.

This position holds that felons should never be allowed to vote. It argues that by committing serious crimes they have shown disrespect for society, that voting is a privilege rather than a right, and that they have forfeited any say in who governs the community.

This position holds that felons should vote even while incarcerated. It argues voting is a fundamental right of citizenship the state should not strip away, that prisoners remain citizens affected by those elected, and that disenfranchisement falls disproportionately on minorities.

This position holds that some felons should keep their voting rights. It argues for a middle path: those who have not committed grave crimes — especially serious human-rights violations — should be allowed to vote, while the franchise might be withheld from those who have.

This position holds that felon voting rights should be decided by each individual state. It argues that the US Constitution leaves election and voting rules to the states, so seeking a single national consensus on felony disenfranchisement is both pointless and contrary to that design.