Know Your Rights

Most people who have been convicted of a felony believe that they have permanently lost their right to vote. In many cases, this is not true. Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia automatically restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences.

Other states application processes for the restoring of voting rights. In many cases, these processes have been intentionally made intentionally difficult but there are people available that help ex-felons through the process.

FAQ


WHAT IF I DON’T LIVE IN THE STATE WHERE I WAS CONVICTED?


If you were convicted in a state that restored your rights automatically, you carry your restored rights with you into any other state you might choose to live in.

Example: I was convicted in Pennsylvania but I live in Virginia. I have not been convicted of a felony in Virginia. But, I know Virginia takes away the voting rights of people with felony convictions, for life. Can I register to vote?
Answer: Yes. Even though Virginia takes the voting rights of people convicted of a felony away for life, they also respect the rules of other states. Therefore, since Pennsylvania is an automatic restoration state – meaning, they would have let you vote upon release from jail (even if you were still on probation or parole) – Virginia will let you register and vote.

Example: I was convicted of a felony in Virginia but I live in North Carolina. I have not been convicted of a felony in North Carolina but I also know Virginia takes away the voting rights of people with felony convictions, for life. Can I register to vote?
Answer: Yes. Even though Virginia takes the voting rights of people convicted of a felony away for life, North Carolina automatically restores voting rights once you have completed the terms of your sentence, including probation or parole. Therefore, if you are no longer subject to supervision as a result of your conviction in Virginia, you can register to vote.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF THE STATE I WAS CONVICTED IN RESTORES RIGHTS AUTOMATICALLY?

You can figure out if your rights were automatically restored in a number of ways:
• You can check the information on this website to see if information on your state is available.
• You can check the website or call the State Board of Elections in your state to see if they offer information on the voting rights of people with felony convictions.
• You can check the website or call your local voter registrar to see if they offer information on the voting rights of people with felony convictions.

I WAS A REGISTERED VOTER BEFORE I WAS CONVICTED. SHOULD I RE-REGISTER?

Most likely.

Some states automatically remove the names of people who have been convicted of a felony, from the voter registration rolls while other states do not.

Additionally, voter registration offices are required to update their voter registration lists periodically. To do this, registrars commonly send voters a letter asking her/him to confirm that s/he still lives at the address on file.

If you received a letter like this while you were incarcerated, you likely did not respond to it by the deadline and this may have caused your name to be removed from the rolls.

For these reasons we recommend that you:
Verify your Registration: If you still live at the address you used when you registered to vote, call your local registrar to make sure you’re still on the rolls. If you are on the rolls, ask them to tell you where your polling place is since the location of your polling place may have changed.
Update your Registration: If you no longer live at the address you used when you registered to vote, update your registration. You can do this by registering again. It is important to have an updated voter registration on file because the polling place you should vote at on Election Day is based on your address.

Felon Disenfranchisement Laws by State


Click on your state below to find out the law regarding felon disenfranchisement in your state.

District of Columbia – California – Florida – Georgia – Indiana – Maryland – Michigan – Missouri – North Carolina – Ohio – Pennsylvania – Texas – Virginia


Don’t see your state on our list? Click here to view a national map which includes the laws for each state and a list of organizations which operate in that state.

All but one of the 12 of the Respect my Vote! states offer some level of automatic restoration for the restoration of voting rights.

Virginia is the only state that does not offer automatic restoration.

Additionally, most states and the District of Columbia do not require persons with felony convictions to submit proof or any special document showing they are off paper before they can register to vote.

The only state that does require a special document – known as a Certificate of Restoration – is Florida.

CALIFORNIA

Automatic Restoration
California automatically restores voting rights to people who have been released from jail, those who are on probation, and to those who have completed the terms of their parole.

If you are still on parole, you are not eligible to become a registered voter.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

FLORIDA

Automatic Restoration for Non-Violent Offenses
*But also Requires Issuance of a Formal Certificate
Florida automatically restores voting rights to people convicted of a non-violent offense who have also completed the terms of their sentence – including any terms of incarceration, conditions of probation or parole, and any required restitution.

Prior to 2007, Florida took voting rights away for life from all people convicted of a felony. This is no longer the case.

FAQ: While the process of restoring voting rights for non-violent offenders is automatically initiated by the Clemency Board, before you can register to vote, you must first get a certificate of restoration from the Board.

Resources:
Florida Rights Restoration Coalition: (786) 363-2732 http://www.restorerights.org/
Florida Justice Institute, Inc.: (305) 358-2081

GEORGIA

Automatic Restoration if You’re Off Paper
Georgia automatically restores voting rights to people who have completed the terms of their sentence – including any terms of incarceration and/or conditions of probation or parole.

If the court imposed a fine as a condition of probation but you have not finished paying that fine, you can register as long as you are off probation.

On the other hand, if a fine was imposed as part of your original sentence – meaning, the fine itself was authorized by law – and you have not finished paying it, you should not register to vote.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

INDIANA

Automatic Restoration
Indiana automatically restores voting rights upon release from jail.

This means that individuals convicted of a felony but who never had to serve time in jail, as well as people on probation or parole, can register and vote.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

MARYLAND

Automatic Restoration if You’re Off Paper
Maryland automatically restores voting rights to people who have completed the terms of their sentence – including any terms of incarceration and/or conditions of probation or parole.

Prior to 2007, in order to vote, people with a felony conviction had to complete a waiting period after finishing the terms of their sentence. This is no longer the case.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

MISSOURI

Automatic Restoration if You’re Off Paper Missouri automatically restores voting rights to people who have completed the terms of their sentence – including any terms of incarceration and/or conditions of probation or parole.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

MICHIGAN

Automatic Restoration
Michigan automatically restores voting rights upon release from jail.

This means that individuals who were convicted of a felony but who never had to serve jail time, as well as people on probation or parole, can register and vote.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

NORTH CAROLINA

Automatic Restoration if You’re Off Paper North Carolina automatically restores voting rights to people who have completed the terms of their sentence – including any terms of incarceration (including a suspended sentence), and/or conditions of probation or parole.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.
Resources:
Democracy North Carolina: (919) 286-6000 www.democracy-nc.org
Community Success Initiative: (919) 614-2369 www.communitysuccess.org
North Carolina office of the ACLU: (919) 834-3466 www.acluofnorthcarolina.org

OHIO

Automatic Restoration
Ohio automatically restores voting rights upon release from jail.

This means that individuals who were convicted of a felony but who never had to serve jail time, as well as people on probation or parole, can register and vote.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

PENNSYLVANIA

Automatic Restoration
Pennsylvania automatically restores voting rights upon release from jail except to people who are out on “pre-release status.”

Prior to the year 2000, individuals incarcerated due to a felony had to wait five years after their release before they could register to vote. This is no longer the case.

This means that individuals who were convicted of a felony but who never had to serve jail time, as well as people on probation or parole, can register and vote.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.
Resources:
Advancement Project: (202) 728-9557 www.advancementproject.org
The Time is Now to Make a Change! (215) 847-5652 www.thetimeisnowphilly.org

TEXAS

Automatic Restoration if You’re Off Paper
Texas automatically restores voting rights to people who have completed the terms of their sentence – including any terms of incarceration, and/or conditions of probation, parole, or other supervision.

Prior to 1997, in order to vote, people with a felony conviction had to complete a waiting period after finishing the terms of their sentence before they could register to vote. This is no longer the case.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

VIRGINIA


Requires Formal Reinstatement
Virginia takes away the voting rights of people with felony convictions, for life.

Nevertheless, if your rights were restored in another state and you have not been convicted of another felony in any other state – including Virginia – Virginia will respect the rules of the state that restored your rights.

This means if you could have voted in the state that restored your rights, you can vote in Virginia.

FAQ: To restore your voting rights you must submit an application requesting restoration of your civil rights to the Secretary of State. Virginia offers two applications: one for people convicted of a non-violent offense and another for individuals convicted of a violent offense.

Resources:
Advancement Project (Washington DC): (202) 728-9557 www.advancementproject.org
Step Up Inc. (Norfolk, VA): (757) 588-3151 http://stepupincorporated.com/
Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth: (804) 692-2531
http://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/JudicialSystem/Clemency/clemency.cfm
Virginia office of the ACLU: (804) 644-8080 http://www.acluva.org/restoreourvote/

District of Columbia

Automatic Restoration
DC automatically restores voting rights to everyone upon release from jail.

This means that individuals convicted of a felony but who never had to serve time in jail, as well as people on probation or parole, can register and vote.

FAQ: You do not have to submit proof or any special document showing you are off paper before you register.

This information was compiled with help from our friends at the Advancement Project