Should nonviolent Georgia felons be allowed to vote?
A resolution introduced in the Georgia Senate calls for some nonviolent felons to get their voting rights back.
The proposal comes after voters approved a similar measure in Florida in November, automatically restoring the voting rights of about 1.5 million felons as long as they weren't convicted of sex offenses or murder.
In Georgia, Senate Resolution 153 would create a study committee to define which types of criminals should be eligible to vote. Currently, all felons are prohibited from voting in Georgia until they've completed their sentences.
"A blanket prohibition on nonviolent felons having the right to vote does not serve the state's compelling state interest in ensuring that persons are fully integrated into society," according to SR153, which was introduced last week by state Sen. Harold Jones, a Democrat from Augusta.
About 283,000 Georgians have lost their right to vote because they've been convicted of a felony, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
