Californians will soon Decide whether to Allow nearly 50,000 People Convicted of Felonies who are On-Parole to Vote in Future Elections, an Issue that has Divided the State's Leaders along Party Lines. Voters are deciding in the November 3rd Election whether to Approve Proposition 17, which would Allow People Convicted of Felonies who are Out of Prison on Parole to Vote in Future Elections.

California's Constitution Disqualifies People with Felony Convictions from Voting until their Incarceration and Parole are Completed. Proponents of Proposition 17 say the Constitutional Amendment was Proposed to help People who leave Prison Reintegrate into their Communities.

The Measure is Supported by Democratic Leaders including: Gov. Gavin Newsom, State Sen. Steven Bradford (Gardena), and Sen. Kamala Harris.

“It is unacceptable that in 2020 we continue to suppress voters and disenfranchise tens of thousands of individuals in marginalized communities,” said Bradford, Vice Chairman of the California Legislative Black Caucus. “Voting is the easiest way of reintegrating people back into society and letting their voices matter.”

The Initiative, which was put on the Ballot by the Legislature, is Opposed by the California Republican Party, Crime Victims United of California, and GOP Lawmakers including: State Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber), who said Crime Victims will be Deprived of Justice if Felons can Vote without Completing the Parole part of their Sentence under Supervision.

“It’s a great affront to victims and private citizens,” said Nielsen, a Former Chairman of the Agency that is now the State Board of Parole Hearings. “The parole period is an integral part of the sentence to allow the individual to readjust to society and to sustain themselves to know that they really have changed.”

If Proposition 17 passes, those Convicted of Felonies who are still in Prison would continue to be Ineligible to Vote. The current Restriction on Voting for those on Parole does not Extend to People who are Convicted of Crimes and placed on Probation and who Avoid Time behind Bars, allows them to Vote.

Voters are weighing Proposition 17 as the Black Lives Matter Movement has shone a bright light on the Impact of the Criminal Justice System on Communities of Color. “Taking away the fundamental right to vote is one example of how mass incarceration is designed to perpetuate racial inequities,” Los Angeles County Public Defender, Ricardo Garcia said. “Restoring parolees' voting rights will give them not only a chance at redemption, but also add their valued voice back to our communities.”

The Campaign for the Initiative cites Data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation indicating that 3 out of 4 men leaving California Prisons are Black, Latino, or Asian American, which the Campaign blames on "persistent and systematic racial inequalities” in the Criminal Justice System. “This means California’s constitution disproportionately locks people of color out of the voting booth,” the Campaign says. Parole, Bradford added, “is not supposed to be a punishment.”

California and Connecticut currently Mandate that People Convicted of Felonies must Complete their Prison and Parole Sentences before having their Right to Vote Reinstated. An additional 19 States allow People Convicted of Felonies, but who are on Parole, to Vote. Maine, Vermont, and the District of Columbia allow those Convicted of Felonies to Vote even while they are Incarcerated.

The California Legislature has for years been moving in the Direction of Giving the Power to Vote to more People Convicted of Crimes. In 2016, Lawmakers decided to Allow Voting by those in County Jails. A year later, Lawmakers required that Voter Registration Information be provided to formerly Incarcerated People.

The California Legislature narrowly achieved a Two-Thirds Vote in both Houses to Place the New Constitutional Amendment on this year’s Ballot after Democratic Lawmakers argued that Providing Voting Rights gives People leaving Prison a greater stake in their Communities.

But requiring people to complete parole before they can vote is justified, according to Harriet Salarno, Founder of Crime Victims United of California, who said nearly Half of those Released from Prison Commit a New Crime within Three years. Salarno, whose Eldest Daughter was 18 when she was Murdered, said the Three years of Parole that many Released Inmates get is an Integral part of the Process. “That is a re-entry program to see if they can conform and live based on what they learned in prison,” she said. “We have to make sure they do not commit crimes and they are rehabilitated. If they complete the three years and they are good citizens we have no problem with it.”










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