Should felons have the right to vote?

You know the question. Elaborate, if you wish to do so. I have to work now and do not have the time to give my opinion. I will do so just as soon as I have the time.

Of course, please explain WHY you have chosen the position you have taken.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I accidentally said "they're" instead of "they have" in option #3

Yes, with restrictions. I would say if they have been out of jail and clean for a good period of time then it would be ok with me. Also, it would depend upon the crime. Like if they committed voter fraud, maybe they would never get their vote back.

They should vote regardless of circumstances, just because they are in prison does not mean that they are suddenly no longer US citizens.

Absolutely they should be allowed to vote.

Once a criminal has paid their debt to society, they should be allowed to fully reintegrate with society. Keeping them separated from society and preventing them from being a part of society will only give them more reason to re-offend. Therefore, I don't see any sense to continue to punish ex-convicts once they've served their time under law.

In fact, there was a story in my local paper about an older man who volunteered his time to reach to teens as part of a drum circle. He would get the teens together and they would drum and generally have a good ol' time. I believe the drum circle was part of a high school. Then the school found out that he was an ex-convict who had served time for drug charges relating to crack. Once that was found out, the school refused to allow him to continue his drum circle at that school. Despite his efforts to atone and give back to the community and keep some kids from making the same mistakes he had made.

Also, I think some laws are just wrong, so I don't agree with punishing some people for breaking unjust laws. It doesn't make sense to me whatsoever.

I am in favor of allowing felons to vote, primarily because I don't see it causing harm. Felons are about 2% of the population and unlikely to have enough voter influence to make a noticeable difference.

I never understood why they couldn't. I think it's a good check on the government. If millions of people are becoming "felons" because of some crap laws (cough cough drug laws), they could be the ones to vote and change it.

I would say that once their jail time/probation is over they should have the full of their rights once again recognized by the State.

After they served their time behind bars they should have full constitutional rights restored.

Wouldn't Johny Kerry have gotten elected if felons convicted on drug charges were able to vote? That's what I read somewhere... hilarious thing, too.

Depends. I picked no. If you commit small crimes like , assault, theft, vandalism, then yeah, you get your right to vote back once you're done your time and probation. But serious criminals like, gangsters, murders, rapist, drug traffickers, should have their right to vote permanently suspended.