This will be one of the first major elections convicted felons— who have not been incarcerated in the past five years or convicted of any voter-related crime will be able to vote.
We spoke with advocates and those affected by the law change who explained how this action could potentially change the trajectory of the mid-term election.
“So when someone comes home from prison they’ve been home without any felony convictions they can actually register to vote.
Consuela Gaines, chapter organizers with “voice of the experienced” or vote, said when the law changed in 2019 it made nearly 30,000 more people eligible to vote under house bill 378.
After being in prison for 22 years Gaines says she realized how important it is to educate yourself and participate in the voting process.
“While there I did what I had to do to educate others, I studied the law. I was what they call the inmate council. An inmate lawyer.”
Gaines says she believes giving the felons the ability to vote again could change the trajectory for this upcoming election.
“I think it can make a difference based of off what people ran on. What their platforms were, if they were talking about helping formally incarcerated people with their employment or housing? I think these are people formally incarcerated people would vote for.”
She says convicted felons are people too and deserve a second chance at having a voice in the system.
“We earned our right to vote, we’re paying all of our fees every month. We’re doing what we can to be good citizens.”
KATC also spoke with a convicted felon, Reverend of Wilfred Johnson Little Zorah Missionary Baptist church who says getting his right to vote back allows him to voice himself as a citizen again.
“It classifies me now as a citizen again. Because it's through my vote that I can speak. It is through that act of voting, that I have a right to make a choice. Of who I think should represent me. First individually but also collectively because together when we come to cast that vote. It's a powerful thing.”
Gaines says if you are a convicted felon and believe you are qualified to vote she says all you need to do is follow these steps:
- Go to your local parole office
- Ask for the “certification form” stating that you’re eligible to register to vote
- Fill out a voter registration form
- Bring the two forms listed above to the Voter Registration office and register to vote.
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