Missouri should restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated residents
The freedom to vote is one that we as Americans do not take lightly. It's a freedom with a storied past. It's one defined by the resolve of patriots throughout our country's storied history — from George Washington to Susan B. Anthony to Martin Luther King Jr. — and one of the many ways Americans have a voice in our communities today.
Here in Missouri, more than 40,000 of our fellow statesmen don't have that voice — they don't know the freedom to vote that makes the United States of America a beacon of democracy across the globe. Those 40,000 are American citizens. They're older than 18. They live, work, pay taxes, and send their kids to school just like anyone else. But when it comes to the freedom to vote, 40,000 of our neighbors have none — all because they're currently serving out terms of probation or parole. It's about time we do something to change that.
Twenty-three states, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Utah, guarantee the freedom to vote for those convicted of a felony immediately upon their release from prison. In those 23 states, those who commit a crime lose certain rights as a term of their incarceration, but see those rights restored upon their release. When their debt to society is paid, their right to participate in it returns — isn't that how incarceration is supposed to work?
According to a new poll from Secure Democracy USA, a strong majority of Missourians think so.
When it comes to respect for fundamental rights and freedoms in Missouri today, and when it comes to doing right by our neighbors who deserve to have a voice in their community, the case for restoring the right to vote upon release from incarceration is as clear as it is popular — but that hardly tells the full story.
Civic engagement is the hallmark of a thriving community. When people participate in their community — by voting, volunteering, or even just coming together for a parade on the Fourth of July — everyone feels the benefit. Communities with greater civic engagement often see stronger economic growth, healthier people and even less crime. One study from the Florida Parole Commission even found that those released from prison are three times less likely to commit new crimes if their right to vote is restored.
When it comes to our elections themselves, restoring the freedom to vote when an individual is released from prison makes the whole process more smooth, more secure, and more transparent.
Current Missouri law bars those serving terms of probation or parole from voting. That means election officials must maintain constant communication with the agencies that oversee those under post-release supervision to make sure our voter rolls are accurate and up-to-date for an ever-changing list of tens of thousands of people. Similarly, returning citizens can be confused or unclear about their post-release progress and its effect on their eligibility to vote. For election administrators and voters alike, updating Missouri law so that a person can register to vote upon their release from incarceration eases administrative burdens and paints a brighter line around who is eligible to vote and who isn't.
Two new bills proposed by Rep. Melanie Stinnett (R-Springfield) and Sen. Curtis Trent (R-Springfield) would paint that bright line and put freedom and public safety first. H.B. 248 and S.B. 376 would make Missouri the 24th state — and the fourth in the past two years — to guarantee those convicted of a felony the freedom to vote immediately after their release from incarceration. We support Rep. Stinnett and Sen. Trent's work to advance the freedom to vote in Missouri, and we strongly urge their colleagues in the House and Senate to work together to make this bill law in 2023.
Restoring the freedom to vote upon Missourians' release from prison isn't just about protecting our fundamental rights, it isn't just about building safer and more engaged communities across our state, and it isn't just about strengthening our state's election systems. Restoring the freedom to vote is about doing the right thing, for the right people, in the right state, at the right time. It's that simple.
Jeremy Cady is state director for Americans for Prosperity Missouri. Diego Echeverri is director of advocacy for Secure Democracy USA.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri should restore voting rights formerly convicted upon release
