Voting is one of the most basic rights of American citizenship that was first given to African-American men in 1870 and again to all women in 1920. The Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments though did not restrict incentives to prevent African-American men and women from voting. Currently in America at least thirteen percent of African-American men have lost their right to vote; they are among the 6 million Americans who cannot vote due to their criminal records. To prevent Americans, especially minorities, from losing their right to vote American citizens need to terminate the racism within the judicial and prison systems; racism has been a huge factor of deniance of voting rights in the past and is still applicable to today.
Besides a sentence …show more content…
Violence and the use of literacy tests limited African-Americans from voting, but there is one common characteristics between the twentieth century and the present day that still limits voting access: former prisoners cannot vote. Today that means that millions of Americans are deprived of their right to vote. Many citizens feel as if criminals should not have the right to vote since they cannot follow the law. While that is debatable, there are loopholes for the upper class. Martha Stewart for example can or cannot vote depending on what she claims as her primary residence she has several houses in different states, some of which still allows criminals to vote. Changes in legislation need to be made so that prisoners are not viewed as less of a citizen by being denied the right to vote. Most convicted felons have families, therefore the convicts should be able to vote for politicians running for offices and on any legislation that could affect their lives as well as their families. Allowing inmates to vote can also lead to lower amounts of recidivism, overall crime, and reestablishes democracy within the American society. Voting is therefore a right and not a gift that should be taken
Besides a sentence …show more content…
Violence and the use of literacy tests limited African-Americans from voting, but there is one common characteristics between the twentieth century and the present day that still limits voting access: former prisoners cannot vote. Today that means that millions of Americans are deprived of their right to vote. Many citizens feel as if criminals should not have the right to vote since they cannot follow the law. While that is debatable, there are loopholes for the upper class. Martha Stewart for example can or cannot vote depending on what she claims as her primary residence she has several houses in different states, some of which still allows criminals to vote. Changes in legislation need to be made so that prisoners are not viewed as less of a citizen by being denied the right to vote. Most convicted felons have families, therefore the convicts should be able to vote for politicians running for offices and on any legislation that could affect their lives as well as their families. Allowing inmates to vote can also lead to lower amounts of recidivism, overall crime, and reestablishes democracy within the American society. Voting is therefore a right and not a gift that should be taken