Ensuring Every Voice Is Heard: The Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023
The Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023 (H.R.6643 / S.3423) has been introduced by Senator Peter Welch and Representative Ayanna Pressley.
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The right to vote is one of the most fundamental freedoms in the United States of America, yet not every voice is heard when election ballots are cast. Currently, over 4.4 million Americans are denied the right to vote due to felony convictions, according to The Sentencing Project, an organization dedicated to criminal justice reform.
With the U.S. prison population surging nearly 500% over the past 50 years, felony voter disenfranchisement has become a critical issue undermining the democratic principles upon which our country was founded. With the introduction of The Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023 (H.R.6643/S.3423) by Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), legislators aim to rectify this injustice. It would guarantee voting rights for all Americans, including those with criminal convictions.
Supporting this landmark legislation is a crucial move in marginalized communities where criminal convictions prevent felons from exercising what should be a guaranteed right for every U.S. citizen. Here’s a deeper dive into this key legislation and how you can help:
The History of Voter Disenfranchisement
To understand voter disenfranchisement, it’s essential to look at historical events shaping our current system. In 1870, the ratification of the 15th Amendment barred states from denying citizens the right to vote based on race. However, Southern states exploited loopholes to suppress Black Americans' access to voting and maintain white supremacy in the electoral process.
Barriers to voting included literacy tests, all-white primaries, poll taxes, felony disenfranchisement laws, and grandfather clauses. For example, Mississippi's 1890 state convention introduced a constitution with a literacy test and poll tax designed to disenfranchise Black voters.
“Dr. King viewed the right to vote in the context of the history of slavery and as a cruel vestige of Jim Crow laws and practices in both the South and the North. He believed, as he said in a 1959 speech, that the success of the Black struggle for voting rights would open ‘a new era… for all Americans’ and would, ‘enlarge democracy for all people.’ Thus, full suffrage is not only morally right but also ends the lingering demeaning and racist ‘badge of slavery’ that felony disenfranchisement represents, and would benefit all of us.” -The Appeal
In 1898, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Williams v. Mississippi upheld these discriminatory measures, further entrenching voter suppression throughout the South. By 1910, the number of registered Black voters had plummeted to under 2% in Alabama and Mississippi.
The Current State of Voter Disenfranchisement in America
These Jim Crow-style felony disenfranchisement laws do not only affect the South. Consider these staggering statistics:
Over one-third of felons disenfranchised are black men.
Women account for nearly 1 million, or over one-fifth, of disenfranchised citizens.
Vermont and Maine are the only states in the nation granting voting rights to imprisoned people.
The Sentencing Project further reports that in states like Alabama and Florida, 31% of all black men are permanently disenfranchised. Nationwide, nearly three-quarters of disenfranchised individuals are not currently in prison but are on probation or parole or have completed their sentences. Examining the state-by-state breakdown of disenfranchised populations underscores the need for change.
Consider that, with our country’s electoral college system, the distribution of electoral votes is directly influenced by the number of eligible voters in each state. So, states with higher disenfranchisement rates can disproportionately affect the outcome of presidential elections. For example, Florida, which disenfranchises 600,000 people, also has a hefty number of electoral votes at 30 — making the state a primary player in determining the outcome of presidential races.
The Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023 addresses these disparities by restoring voting rights to disenfranchised individuals and leveling the playing ground in the electoral process.
Key Provisions of the Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023
What are the primary objectives of the Inclusive Democracy Act? We can break them down as follows:
Federal protections: The act guarantees that Americans with criminal convictions can vote in federal elections.
Removal of state-level barriers: It eliminates state-level restrictions preventing individuals with criminal convictions from voting, whether they are currently or formerly incarcerated.
Access to information: The act promotes informed voting by mandating that incarcerated individuals have access to election and candidate information.
Support and Opposition for the Inclusive Democracy Act
Some argue that felons should be denied the right to vote due to their criminal behavior. Others assert that states should dictate voting laws, not the federal government. However, these points fail to recognize that voting decisions often impact the country. Furthermore, deciding whether someone has a right to vote based on their status in society is a slippery slope with inherent flaws.
The Georgia Innocence Project estimates that 4% to 6% of incarcerated individuals in the United States are wrongfully convicted. Moreover, black Americans comprise 40% of the prison population and nearly 60% of all exonerations based on post-conviction DNA evidence.
Whether guilty or innocent, prisoners need a voice in the legislative process. Elected officials directly impact their lives by creating laws and policies on sentencing, prison conditions, and rehabilitation.
Denying this right strips prisoners of their humanity and diminishes their role in democracy. As a fundamental human right, voting allows prisoners to express their opinions on decisions that affect their lives. The Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023 recognizes this necessity, advocating for the voting rights of all Americans, including those incarcerated, to create a more just and inclusive society.
The Path Forward
The Inclusive Democracy Act must pass through both chambers of Congress and be signed by the President to become law. While the Act has gained bipartisan Congressional support, it requires ongoing advocacy to get the final seals of approval. Constituents must urge their representatives to co-sponsor and support this Act.
With active civic engagement, we can drive legislative change and protect voting rights for all Americans. You can do your part by signing the Resistbot petition created by organizer
supporting the Inclusive Democracy Act. By amplifying support for this key piece of legislation, you can help reach the goal of 1,000 signers and preserve equal rights for all.When you’re done, please pass this on. Help restore voting rights to millions of Americans.