It’s confusing to tell whether or not you can vote if you’re a felon. Depending on where you live, that right might never be taken away, even if you’re in prison. In others, you could face another felony charge for voting if you haven’t taken the steps to restore your rights. You can see how this is handled from state to state below.
Where can felons vote?
There isn’t a federal law concerning the voting rights of convicted felons. Each state has its own rules about whether felons have their voting rights suspended and the method (if any) that must be followed to restore them. Each state’s laws have different verbiage and nuances, but they can each be lumped into the categories below:
Can vote regardless of criminal conviction (even while incarcerated):
- Maine
- Vermont
- Washington D.C.
Voting rights restored after release from incarceration:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Utah
- Washington
Voting rights restored upon completion of parole or probation:
- Alaska
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Louisiana (Voting rights may be restored while on probation or after five years of parole.)
- Missouri
- North Carolina
Voting rights aren’t automatically restored after a criminal sentence:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Wyoming
Each of the above states has differing laws concerning the restoration of voting rights for felons. In some, you can apply for your voting rights immediately after completing a sentence. In others, a certain amount of time must pass before applying. There are even states where your right to vote is permanently suspended if you’re convicted of a felony. Make sure to check applicable laws if you plan to vote in these locations because there can be some nuances that are easy to overlook.
