Editing Disfranchisement (section)

=== North America ===
==== Canada ====

[[Canada]] allows inmates to vote.<ref>[https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/2010/index.do Sauvé v. Canada (Chief Electoral Officer), [2002<nowiki>]</nowiki> 3 SCR 519, 2002 SCC 68.]</ref><ref>[http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-2.01/section-245.html ''Canada Elections Act'', SC 2000, c 9, s 245.]</ref> [[Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]] grants "every citizen of Canada" the right to vote, without further qualification, a constitutional right upheld as to inmates in ''[[Sauvé v Canada (Chief Electoral Officer)]]'' [2002].

==== United States ====
{{Main|Felony disenfranchisement in the United States}}
{{Update|section|date=October 2022}}
Many states intentionally retract the franchise from convicted felons, but differ as to when or if the franchise can be restored. In those states, felons are also prohibited from voting in federal elections, even if their convictions were for state crimes.

[[Maine]] and [[Vermont]] allow prison inmates as well as probationers and parolees to vote.<ref name=ACLU>[https://www.aclu.org/votingrights/exoffenders/statelegispolicy2007.html American Civil Liberties Union<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Twenty states ([[Alaska]], [[Arkansas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Idaho]], [[Iowa]], [[Kansas]], [[Louisiana]], [[Maryland]], [[Minnesota]], [[Missouri]], [[Nebraska]], [[Nevada]], [[New Mexico]], [[North Carolina]], [[Oklahoma]], [[South Carolina]], [[Texas]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[West Virginia]], and [[Wisconsin]]) do not allow persons convicted of a [[felony]] to vote while serving a sentence, but automatically restore the franchise to the person upon completion of a sentence.<ref name=ACLU /> In Iowa, in July 2005, Governor [[Tom Vilsack]] issued an executive order restoring the right to vote for all persons who have completed supervision, which the [[Iowa Supreme Court]] upheld on October 31, 2005.<ref name="SP">{{cite web|title=Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the United States|publisher=The Sentencing Project|date=March 2011|url=http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/fd_statedisenfranchisement.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119133453/http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/fd_statedisenfranchisement.pdf|archive-date=2012-01-19}}</ref>

Fifteen states ([[Hawaii]], [[Illinois]], [[Indiana]], [[Massachusetts]], [[Michigan]], [[Montana]], [[New Hampshire]], [[New Jersey]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[North Dakota]], [[Ohio]], [[Oregon]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Rhode Island]], and [[Utah]]) plus the [[District of Columbia]] allow probationers and parolees to vote, but not inmates.<ref name=ACLU />

Four states ([[California]], [[Colorado]], [[Connecticut]], and [[South Dakota]]) allow probationers to vote, but not inmates or parolees.<ref name=ACLU />

Eight states ([[Alabama]], [[Arizona]], [[Delaware]], [[Florida]], [[Kentucky]], [[Mississippi]], [[Tennessee]], and [[Wyoming]]) allow some, but not all, persons with felony convictions to vote after having completed their sentences.<ref name=ACLU /> Some have qualifications of this: for example, Delaware does not restore the franchise until five years after release of a person.<ref name="delaware">{{cite web|url=http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/votreg.shtml#register|title=State of Delaware - Department of Elections for New Castle County - Voter Registration|publisher=electionsncc.delaware.gov|access-date=2014-02-11|archive-date=2014-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211183654/http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/votreg.shtml#register|url-status=dead}}</ref> Similarly, Kentucky requires that the person take action to gain restoration of the franchise.<ref name="SP"/>

One state ([[Virginia]]) permanently disfranchises persons with felony convictions.<ref name=ACLU /> In Virginia, former Governor [[Terry McAuliffe]] used his executive power in 2017 to restore voting rights to about 140,000 people with criminal backgrounds in the state.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nbc29.com/story/34203534/governor-mcauliffe-provides-update-on-restoration-of-rights-numbers |title=Governor McAuliffe Provides Update on Restoration of Rights Numbers - WVIR NBC29 Charlottesville News, Sports, and Weather |access-date=2019-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414154307/https://www.nbc29.com/story/34203534/governor-mcauliffe-provides-update-on-restoration-of-rights-numbers |archive-date=2019-04-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Disfranchisement due to criminal conviction, particularly after a sentence is served, has been opposed by the [[Sentencing Project]], an organization in the United States working to reduce arbitrary prison sentences for minor crimes and to ameliorate the negative effects of incarceration to enable persons to rejoin society after completing sentences. Its website provides a wealth of statistical data that reflects opposing views on the issue, and data from the [[United States]] government and various state governments about the practice of felony disfranchisement.