>" First, let's lay out the facts. Although some felons have been legally disenfranchised, others have not. Specifically, while only four states allow felons to vote while they are in prison, 18 allow felons to vote while they are on parole and 21 allow them to vote while on probation. Only 10 states permanently disenfranchise all felons and another handful do so to some ex-offenders or restore the ability to vote after a time limit...
The simple answer to your question is that felons can't vote is because voting is a civil right and you forfeit certain rights, temporarily anyway, when convicted of a serious crime...
Convicted felons have been denied various privileges granted to other citizens going all the way back to ancient Rome and Greece--this practice is laced throughout the common law that serves as the basis for U.S. law..."<
It's a slippery slope. Allow convicted felons to vote and America could end up having more incompetent Presidents like Obama. And they'll probably want more than the whole nine yards.
Democrats in San Fransisco are already advocating that illegal aliens who have been in the country after 30 days should be able to vote.
My dogs also want to vote and knowing my dogs, they'll vote for who ever will give them the biggest T-Bone.
The Straight Dope: Why can't felons vote?