Voting rights for some convicted felons in California could soon change – possibly. Currently in California, the law only allows convicted felons to vote only when they have been released from jail and completed parole; their voting rights are automatically restored upon completion. But now there’s a new bill (AB2466) that petitions to give felons the right to vote in California elections while they are serving their prison sentence.
If passed, California would become the third state in the U.S. to allow convicts to vote from behind bars. The other two states that already allow this for their criminals are Maine and Vermont.
The bill has restrictions; it would only apply to low-level felons in county jails. It does not apply to felons serving time in state or federal prison. But first, the bill would need to be signed by the governor.
People who have been arrested but not yet convicted (trial has not ended) can still vote, and you can help make sure this happens for your troubled loved one by helping them bail out of jail.