Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 6, 2022 01:36 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Stephen Kinsey |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | End Felony Disenfranchisement |
| The right to vote is a core pillar of our democracy. Every single day that an incarcerated individual is not able to exercise their right to vote is another day that Pennsylvania acknowledges and permits the continuation of Jim Crow era laws. While Pennsylvania is one of several states that fully restore voting rights of all individuals upon release from incarceration, there is no reason voting rights should ever be stripped from a Pennsylvania citizen. Individuals convicted of a misdemeanor are able to vote via absentee ballot while incarcerated, and I strongly believe individuals convicted of a felony should have the same privilege. Maine and Vermont both allow those convicted of felonies to vote while incarcerated, and now is the time for Pennsylvania to follow suit. For these reasons, I plan on introducing a package of legislation to ensure that every single person serving a sentence in the state of Pennsylvania can exercise their right to vote. It is far past the time to end felony disenfranchisement in our state. Please join me in this commonsense package of legislation to show every Pennsylvania citizen that their voice and vote matter, regardless of their circumstances. Document #1 The first piece of legislation will remove the provision that an individual who has been incarcerated for a felony conviction within the last five years is unable to register to vote and allow a registered voter to apply for an absentee ballot when they are confined to a correctional facility. Document #2 The second piece of legislation will update the definition of a qualified absentee elector to include an individual who is unable to attend the polling place on election day due to serving a sentence in a correctional facility. The bill also removes the provision that a qualified absentee elector does not include an incarcerated individual. |
Document #1
| Description: | Document #1 The first piece of legislation will remove the provision that an individual who has been incarcerated for a felony conviction within the last five years is unable to register to vote and allow a registered voter to apply for an absentee ballot when they are confined to a correctional facility. |
|
|---|---|---|
Document #2
| Description: | Document #2 The second piece of legislation will update the definition of a qualified absentee elector to include an individual who is unable to attend the polling place on election day due to serving a sentence in a correctional facility. The bill also removes the provision that a qualified absentee elector does not include an incarcerated individual. |
|
|---|---|---|