Proponents of felony disenfranchisement laws tell us these laws are only an extension of the justice system. People like Hans A. von Spakovsky, of the conservative Heritage Foundation, say that people with former felony offenses must prove themselves and that the right to vote should not be a “freebie.” But what the rhetoric does not mention is that felony disenfranchisement is not about crimes or justice, it is about suppressing the right to vote, particularly for African-American males. History tells the story. During the Reconstruction Era the black electorate expanded. Freedmen were voting at higher rates and the color of elected officials was shifting.
To stop this, states already practicing some form of felony disenfranchisement expanded the list of crimes to target people of color using Black Codes. Some states went so far as to label petty thefts as felonies, because they were crimes usually committed by blacks, and exclude rape and murder – crimes mostly committed by whites during the era.
The tactic worked and greatly reduced the black vote.Years later the effect is the same. Nearly all of those disenfranchised due to these laws are black. Nearly half of all those disenfranchised are no longer incarcerated. Now, as more blacks are voting than ever before, there is an even stronger backlash.
Full Article: N.C. bill prolongs unfair disenfranchisement of ex-felons | CharlotteObserver.com.
The Voting News
A News Service of the Verified Voting Foundation
