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I believe that all felons should be treated the same. Although the amount of shame that should be upon them should be different. Since all crimes are different and have different consequences. I feel like they should be treated on how bad the crime was because obviously you are not going to treat a murder the same as a guy that robbed a store. There crimes should be considered for the fact.

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I believe all citizens should have a say in government decisions regardless of them being felons. they are U.S. citizens for a reason if they have the right that most people don't, they should be able to have a say in anything government. if they have the rights then they should be able to use those rights. regardless of their history. everyone is human and everybody wants to be treated the same. so why treat felons any different.

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The severity of the crime should determine whether a felon regains voting rights. someone who committed a non-violent offence shouldn't be treated the same as someone who seriously harmed others or threatened public safety.

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I feel that felons who are currently incarcerated should not be able to vote. They have made the choice to commit crimes, knowing that they are doing illegal activity, and should serve their time in prison. They shouldn't be able to decide the future for those who are good citizens. Felons who are in prison should not vote because they made the choice to do illegal actions and must face the consequences.

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Once felons have served their time, they should have their rights restored especially the right to vote. Regaining this right helps them reintegrate into society and feel like valued members of the community, rather than continuing to be punished. Everyone deserves a second chance

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Voting rights should be restored as part of reintegration into society as it allows for felons to have redemption to become a better civillian as it fufuils their civic duty in voting. Also, being a felon and went through reintegration into society, since voting is a big part of a community, felons should have the ability to vote to feel inclusion in their community. With the ability to vote there would be more votes in the system allowing for a more even distriubiton. Going through reintegration will prove them as a civil citizen allowing them to live a normal life again and voting is a part of that.

-Brandon Tran

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There should be a national standard to allow felons to vote. There are only a few states that restrict felons from voting and most of the reasoning behind that is because those extra votes could change the results of an election. Allowing all citizens to vote regardless of their past will cause elections to be more representative of our country as a whole.

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I believe that everyone should have a say in government decisions, including felons. America's democracy relies on the votes of the people. By taking away the right to vote permanently, it undermines the entire point of democracy. A quote that sums up my point of view is: "Individuals who are not already deterred from crime by the threat of incarceration are unlikely to be swayed by the prospect of losing their right to vote..." Yes, felons have violated the law and statistics show that a significant portion of felons continue to pursue criminal activities. However, the portion who are willing to change should be given the chance to prove themselves. By eliminating the right to vote for all felons, it discourages people from participating in the government and becoming law abiding citizens.

-Phillip Nguyen

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All citizens should have a right to express their opinion in government decisions due to the fundamental of Democracy. 1st, 14th, and 15th Amendment stated that everyone should have the right to express themself and ideas of voting is fundamental right that should not be denied. People should have the right to vote or a say in government after finish serving their sentences and allowing them to vote could make them feel that they still have some influences in their country and not being marginalized so that it is easier for them to reconnect with the society.

- Dinh Nguyen

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Americans who have committed felonies, but reformed their ways, deserve a second chance at reclaiming their rights. Not only is this morally virtuous, but it helps to sustain America's Democracy.

In order to hold a fair election, the US needs as many eligible voters as possible. This becomes quite a strenuous factor when you consider how many individuals are unable to vote while currently serving time. If more limits are added (such as taking voting rights from those who have already served time for their convicted felonies), it will affect the 77 million adults in the US with a criminal record.

This contradicts the fundamentals which make America a democratic nation, as these millions of votes could be the deciding factor to sway an election.

-Alex C

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Should public safety and trust be held by a thread because we want to allow criminals to control our laws and politics? No, allowing people who don’t take our laws into consideration, as well as the people who’ve they affected. They do not want to be a functional member of society so they should not be allowed to be apart of our society as a contributing member. Roger Clegg states, “Individuals who have shown they are unwilling to follow the law cannot claim the right to make laws for the rest of us.” Those who want to be Felons do not deserve the right to vote or be a member of society until they have proven they are ready. Or else chaos and corruption can and will occur.

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The severity of the crime should determine whether a felon gets voting rights. A felony is a serious crime, but the list ranges from threats (directed at officials) and robbery to murdering others. Psychologically speaking, those who intentionally murder while knowing of the consequences are in the wrong headspace, which is one that justifies murder. On the other hand, crimes such as robbery are mostly committed by those who have little to no money and want a chance to survive in society. A real-life example of felony severity can be seen in Ohio, where felonies are classified by degrees ranging from 1 through 5. 1 is the most severe, and 5 is the least.

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I believe felons should not have to apply to regain voting rights. Those rights should be automatically restored after serving their rights. It is stated that "The 14th and 15th amendment of the U.S constitution are often cited to support the idea that voting is a fundamental right that should not be denied unjustly." Voting is a fundamental right in a democracy and should not be taken away. Especially, since they served their sentences, they should get the opportunity to have the right to vote. Finally, voting brings a sense of connection for the community and re applying to vote is going against the rights of felons. -Viviana Espinoza

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I believe that some felons should have the right to vote after they served their time. I think it should depend on the severity of the crime. According to the slides, felonies include robbery, car theft, rape, murder, and manslaughter. Many states allow felons to the right to vote after they serve their time. I think that people who steal a car or other non-violent crimes should be given a second chance. They made a mistake that did not hurt others directly. I believe that felons that commit heinous crimes like rape or murder should not be given back the right to vote.

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I think all citizens regardless of their criminal history should have a say in government decisions such as voting. Prohibiting people to vote strips their rights. It is stated that "millions of Americans are excluded from our democratic process on the basis of criminal disenfranchisement laws.". Leading to people getting their rights stripped away. However I think they deserve a second chance as long as they do the requirements to vote again.

-brianna

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i think the severity of their crime should determine if they are allowed to vote again or not. If the felon is in jail for more than 20 years i think they shouldn’t be allowed to vote again no matter what. But if the felon hasn’t committed that serious of a crime and they get out in under 20 years then they should be allowed to go through the process of getting their voting rights back. Criminals that have been trialed for murder or something to the severity like that should definitely not be allowed to vote ever again because people like that shouldn’t get to have a say in who runs our government when they can’t follow the law.

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Severity of the crime determines the extent of the repercussions. This is how the system works, and disenfranchisement should also reflect this value. While petty crimes should not face such severe punishment, harsher crimes must require harsher disciplinary action, including disenfranchisement. No one wants murderers and rapists to have a say in the safety policies of their city. No one wants a school shooter voting on matters of gun control. It is for the safety of the community that offenders of such high magnitude are disenfranchised.

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I believe that felons shouldn't be able to vote while they're serving their sentence. They should regain that ability after serving their time. This is because they still need to take accountability for their crimes. It would also add millions of extra votes to the poll unexpectedly. There are fewer people being released from jail than there actually are still serving their time. Allowing felons to vote will slowly increase the voting numbers, but also create an inclusive environment. Those who have already served their time are less likely to commit the crimes again. Although there are a few cases where felons commit the same crime again, it is usually not as common. By allowing felons to vote after they served their time will create an inclusive community and less likely to recommit crimes. I think that felons after being released are already discriminated against and alienated. Not giving them these rights in prison will show the difference between their rights in and out of prison. If they have all the rights as the average citizen in prison but just confined, they are less likely to understand its value. - Alex Do

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Yes, all citizens should have a say in government decisions, regardless of their criminal history. Voting is a fundamental right in a democracy, and taking it away can reinforce social exclusion rather than promote rehabilitation. If the goal of the justice system is to reform and reintegrate individuals, then restoring their right to vote is a step toward full citizenship. Excluding people from participating in decisions that affect their lives, especially after they’ve served their time, undermines the principles of fairness, equality, and democracy.-leanna

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No, not all citizens should have a say in government decisions. Rodger clegg, president & general council at the center for equal opportunity claimed that "Individuals who have shown they are unwilling to follow the law cannot claim the right to make laws for the rest of us." felons and all those who do not obey with society and gov laws/actions don't deserve right in making decisions as they them self don't obey the ones currently active.

-Alessandro A

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I believe that after a felon has served their time that was given to them, they should be able to have their rights back instead of a continuous punishment. The ability to vote could be a vital part of helping the ex felon settle back into society and engage in their civic duties as citizens. If their rights were not given back they would still feel that separation from the community, which would not result in a favorable outcome. Each felon should be given a second chance to fix themselves by allowing them to become part of society again before deciding on a more severe punishment. -Karis

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Prohibiting felons from voting unfairly targets minority groups. Due to systemic racism in the United State's justice system, Black and Hispanic citizens are more likely to be incarcerated even though they represent a minority population. Disenfranchising felon voting strips away the right to vote from these groups, which can cause millions of votes from minorities to be lost. Additionally, felon disenfranchisement historically has been a policy that disproportionately affects marginalized groups from voting--it was a form of voter suppression. --Brandon Do

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How does society’s perception of crime and punishment shape voting laws for felons?

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Should felons have to apply to regain voting rights, or should those rights be automatically restored after serving their sentence?

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How does the history of felon disenfranchisement impact today’s policies?

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Should voting rights be restored only after serving a sentence, or should felons be able to vote while in prison?

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Should voting rights for felons be a state decision, or should there be a nationwide standard?

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Does allowing felons to vote threaten public trust in the electoral system, or does it strengthen democracy?

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Should all felons be treated the same, or should the severity of their crime determine voting rights?

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Does prohibiting felons from voting disproportionately affect certain groups and reinforce systemic inequalities?

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Should voting rights be restored as part of reintegration into society, or is losing the right to vote a justified consequence of committing a crime?

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Should all citizens, regardless of their criminal history, have a say in government decisions?