Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont submitted the legislation, named the Inclusive Democracy Act, on Tuesday which would guarantee the right to vote in federal elections for all citizens regardless of their criminal record.

In a statement, Pressley said the legislation was necessary due to policies and court rulings that “continue to disenfranchise voters from all walks of life — including by gutting the Voting Rights Act, gerrymandering, cuts to early voting, and more.” Welch called the bill necessary due to “antiquated state felony disenfranchisement laws.”

In late 2022, approximately 4.6 million people were unable to vote due to a felony conviction, according to a study by the Sentencing Project, a nonpartisan research group. The same study found that Black and Hispanic citizens are disproportionately likely to be disenfranchised due to felony

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    It’s not much of a tax when it can be “paid” by sending a piece of paper through the mail, postage-paid.

    Australia does this. It works out very well.

    • bob_lemon@feddit.de
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      10 months ago

      Hey, you’re talking to the country that has you actively apply to get a right to vote. The US is seemingly incapable of keeping track of their own citizens.

        • bob_lemon@feddit.de
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          10 months ago

          Yeah, I just wrote another comment and noticed that the government probably has addresses because the IRS needs those to function.