Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

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Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary substantially from state to state. As of October 2024, people convicted of a felony in Maine, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. retained the right to vote while incarcerated. In 38 other states, people convicted of a felony could not vote while incarcerated but automatically regained the right to vote upon their release or at some point thereafter. Ten states did not automatically restore voting rights for people convicted of a felony.

Generally, governors across the United States may exercise the executive authority to restore voting rights by pardon on an individual basis. However, the policies described in this article deal with automatic restoration of voting rights for people convicted of a felony.

Since 2020, nine states have passed legislation that more quickly restored voting rights to certain individuals convicted of a felony, while voters in one state, California, approved a ballot measure that did so. Governors in two other states, Iowa and Virginia, took executive actions related to the restoration of voting rights. Read more below.

This research was last updated on October 16, 2024

Policies by state

The map and table below summarize voting rights for people convicted of a felony in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., as of October 2024.

• In two states (Maine and Vermont) and Washington, D.C., people convicted of a felony always retain the right to vote.
• In 22 states, voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony automatically upon completion of their prison sentence.
• In one state, Connecticut, voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony automatically upon completion of prison and parole time.
• In 15 states, voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony automatically upon completion of their sentence, including prison time, parole, and probation.
• In 10 states, voting rights are not automatically restored to people convicted of a felony. However, the governor may opt to restore an individual's voting rights by pardon on a case-by-case basis. This tally includes Arizona, where voting rights are automatically restored for people with one felony conviction, but government action is required to restore voting rights for people with two or more felony convictions. Virginia is also included here. In 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin's (R) administration announced that he would not continue the policy of automatically restoring voting rights for people convicted of a felony that previous governors used their powers to enact.

State details

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony by state
State	Policy
Alabama	People convicted of certain felonies never regain the right to vote.
Alaska	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Arizona	People convicted of two or more felonies do not automatically regain the right to vote; the government must opt to restore their voting rights. Voting rights are automatically restored to people with one felony conviction upon completion of their sentence.
Arkansas	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole, and probation.
California	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison sentence.
Colorado	Voting rights are restored to individuals convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison sentence.
Connecticut	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison and parole time.
Delaware	People convicted of certain felonies never regain the right to vote.
Washington, D.C.	People convicted of a felony always retain the right to vote.
Florida	People convicted of certain felonies never regain the right to vote.
Georgia	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Hawaii	Voting rights are restored to individuals convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Idaho	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Illinois	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison sentence.
Indiana	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison sentence.
Iowa	On August 5, 2020, Governor Kim Reynolds (R) issued an executive order restoring voting rights to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentences, including prison time, parole, and probation. However, people convicted of felony homicide do not have their voting rights automatically restored. Instead, they must apply for restoration of voting rights.
Kansas	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Kentucky	People convicted of certain felonies never regain the right to vote.
Louisiana	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation. A state law that took effect in 2019 enabled people convicted of a felony who have not been incarcerated within the last five years to have their voting rights restored unless the conviction was for an election offense.
Maine	People convicted of a felony always retain the right to vote.
Maryland	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Massachusetts	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Michigan	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Minnesota	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison sentence. On March 3, 2023, Governor Tim Walz (D) signed House File 28 into law, restoring voting rights to Minnesotans convicted of a felony that are still on parole, probation, or supervised release.
Mississippi	People convicted of certain felonies never regain the right to vote.
Missouri	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Montana	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Nebraska	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation. Click here for more information.
Nevada	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
New Hampshire	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
New Jersey	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
New Mexico	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence. On March 30, 2023, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed HB4 into law, restoring voting rights to people convicted of a felony who have completed their prison time, but are still either on parole, probation, or another form of supervised release.
New York	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
North Carolina	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
North Dakota	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Ohio	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Oklahoma	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Oregon	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Pennsylvania	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
Rhode Island	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence..
South Carolina	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
South Dakota	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Tennessee	People convicted of certain felonies never regain the right to vote.
Texas	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Utah	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence..
Vermont	People convicted of a felony always retain the right to vote.
Virginia	Voting rights are not restored to people convicted of a felony automatically. Instead, people must submit an application for restoration to the governor's office upon completion of their sentence, including prison time, parole, and probation, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Note: Former governors Bob McDonnell (R), Terry McAuliffe (D), and Ralph Northam (D) used their gubernatorial authority to automatically restore voting rights to thousands of people with felony convictions upon completion of their prison sentences. In 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) announced that he would not continue this policy and would consider individual applications for voting rights restoration through pardon after the completion of a felony sentence, including prison time, parole, and probation.
Washington	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony immediately upon completion of their prison sentence.
West Virginia	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Wisconsin	Voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. Sentence includes prison time, parole and probation.
Wyoming	People convicted of certain felonies never regain the right to vote.
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," March 7, 2023 Brennan Center for Justice, "Restoring the Right to Vote by State," accessed March 20, 2023 American Civil Liberties Union, "State Criminal Re-enfranchisement Laws," accessed March 20, 2023

Voter disqualification rates by state

According to a report published by the Sentencing Project, a criminal justice reform group, an estimated 4.6 million people convicted of a felony did not have the right to vote in the United States in 2022. This amounted to approximately two percent of the total voting age population. The table below provides details for each state.

Estimated number of disqualified people convicted of a felony by state, 2022
State	Voting eligible population	People convicted of a felony	Disqualification rate
Alabama	3,709,180	318,681	8.59
Alaska	532,553	6,552	1.23
Arizona	5,049,926	256,636	5.08
Arkansas	2,219,479	81,658	3.68
California	25,774,911	97,328	0.38
Colorado	4,153,976	17,455	0.42
Connecticut	2,615,815	6,892	0.26
Delaware	723,159	7,721	1.07
Florida	15,296,734	1,150,944	7.52
Georgia	7,482,329	234,410	3.13
Hawaii	1,020,517	3,007	0.29
Idaho	1,255,411	27,485	2.19
Illinois	9,064,396	31,431	0.35
Indiana	4,933,505	25,801	0.52
Iowa	2,331,653	30,130	1.29
Kansas	2,097,052	19,026	0.91
Kentucky	3,362,354	152,727	4.54
Louisiana	3,467,869	52,073	1.50
Maine	1,070,612	0	0.00
Maryland	4,313,168	16,587	0.38
Massachusetts	5,030,986	7,769	0.15
Michigan	7,528,995	35,281	0.47
Minnesota	4,113,452	55,192	1.34
Mississippi	2,238,133	239,209	10.69
Missouri	4,630,115	82,782	1.79
Montana	823,797	4,223	0.51
Nebraska	1,373,561	17,960	1.31
Nevada	2,071,272	12,188	0.59
New Hampshire	1,065,299	2,524	0.24
New Jersey	6,156,380	13,999	0.23
New Mexico	1,511,406	17,572	1.16
New York	13,764,741	36,553	0.27
North Carolina	7,636,496	29,461	0.39
North Dakota	564,942	1,552	0.27
Ohio	8,855,290	47,010	0.53
Oklahoma	2,855,801	41,212	1.44
Oregon	3,108,030	13,302	0.43
Pennsylvania	9,778,957	42,976	0.44
Rhode Island	795,022	1,606	0.20
South Carolina	3,849,680	39,882	1.04
South Dakota	644,867	13,463	2.09
Tennessee	5,082,240	471,592	9.28
Texas	18,578,831	455,160	2.45
Utah	2,082,893	6,238	0.30
Vermont	497,391	0	0.00
Virginia	6,198,540	312,540	5.04
Washington	5,344,645	17,001	0.32
West Virginia	1,428,525	14,215	1.00
Wisconsin	4,392,490	65,394	1.49
Wyoming	435,357	10,306	2.37
U.S. Total	232,912,733	4,644,708	1.99
Source: The Sentencing Project, "Locked Out 2022: Estimates of People Denied Voting Rights," October 25, 2022

Support and opposition

Whether voting rights should be automatically restored to people convicted of a felony and whether those people should be able to vote while incarcerated are subjects of debate.

The following quotes briefly summarize arguments for and against automatic restoration of voting rights. See our page, Arguments for and against automatic restoration of voting rights for people convicted of a felony, for detailed support and opposition arguments from a variety of sources.

Arguments for and against automatic restoration of voting rights for people convicted of a felony
Support	Opposition
"State felony disenfranchisement laws keep millions of Americans from voting. These laws aren’t just anti-democratic — they send the message that the voices of individuals returning to their communities don’t count. And these voting bans disproportionately affect Black Americans." - The Brennan Center for Justice (2023)	"We must ask ourselves if citizens who have no respect for the laws of the land should have a hand in their authorship. There is an assumption or at least an aspiration that the right to vote would be the happy providence of the moral and responsible, the sober-minded and the thoughtful. We do not let 7-year-olds pull the lever and we don’t (for the most part) allow non-citizens to participate in our democracy." - Editorial staff, The Boston Herald (2019)

The following quotes summarize arguments for and against allowing people convicted of felonies to vote while incarcerated. See our page, Arguments for and against allowing people convicted of a felony to vote while incarcerated, for detailed support and opposition arguments from a variety of sources.

Arguments for and against allowing people convicted of a felony to vote while incarcerated
Support	Opposition
“This is a democracy and we have got to expand that democracy, and I believe every single person does have the right to vote. Yes, even for terrible people, because once you start chipping away and you say, ‘Well, that guy committed a terrible crime, not going to let him vote. Well, that person did that. Not going to let that person vote,’ you’re running down a slippery slope. So I believe people commit crimes and they paid the price and they have the right to vote. I believe even if they’re in jail they’re paying their price to society but that should not take away their inherent American right to participate in our democracy.” - U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) (2019)	"All but two states, Maine and Vermont, take away the right of felons to vote when they are convicted and are serving their sentences. Such a policy makes perfect sense and is in the best interests of our society and local communities. As a federal judge said in 2002 in an unsuccessful case challenging Florida’s disenfranchisement law, felons are deprived of their ability to vote because of 'their own decision to commit an act for which they assume the risks of detection and punishment.'" - Hans von Spakovsky, The Heritage Foundation (2019)

Noteworthy events

Changes to voting rules for people convicted of a felony

Mississippi (2023-2025)

On July 18, 2024, the full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an August 2023 decision by a three-judge panel of the circuit that held Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for people convicted of certain felonies to be unconstitutional. The full court ruled 13-6 that a portion of Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution prohibiting anyone convicted of a number of crimes from ever regaining the right to vote was not unconstitutional, reversing the 2-1 decision made by the panel. On January 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the ruling, leaving the law, and the 5th Circuit's decision, in place.

Writing for the majority, Judge Edith Jones wrote that finding the section unconstitutional "would thwart the ability of the State’s legislature and citizens to determine their voting qualifications, and would require federal courts overtly to make legislative choices that, in our federal system, belong at the State level." Addressing the plaintiffs, Jones wrote: "Do the hard work of persuading your fellow citizens that the law should change."

In a dissenting opinion, Judge James Dennis, joined by the five other dissenting justices, wrote: "The independent limits that the Fourteenth Amendment place on disenfranchisement do not stand in the way of the irrefutable conclusion we draw from our faithful application of well-settled Eighth Amendment jurisprudence: it is cruel and unusual to punish individuals for life by permanently disenfranchising them after they have fulfilled all terms of their sentence."

In a statement to The Hill, Jon Youngwood, counsel to one of the plaintiffs, wrote: "We remain confident in this case, and our clients remain committed to ensuring that their right to vote is restored."

On August 4, 2023, a three-judge panel of 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for people convicted of a felony unconstitutional, ruling that it violated the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

In response, Mississippi filed an en banc petition on August 18. In September, the Fifth Circuit agreed to hear this appeal, vacating its earlier ruling declaring voter disqualification for people convicted of a felony unconstitutional. Oral arguments in the case began on January 23, 2024.

Article 12, Section 241 of the state's constitution permanently disqualifies Mississippians convicted of one of the following felony offenses from voting: murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement or bigamy. People convicted of other felony offenses automatically regain their voting rights upon completion of their sentence.

In 2018, a group of Mississippians who had lost their right to vote under Section 241 filed a class action lawsuit in the Northern U.S. District Court of Mississippi alleging that the state's practice of permanently disenfranchising people convicted of certain felonies violated the U.S. Constitution. The court disagreed, upholding Sections 241 and 253 of Mississippi's constitution. The plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Nebraska (2024)

On October 16, 2024, the Nebraska Supreme Court issued opinion 317 Neb. 800, upholding Legislative Bill 20, which restored voting rights to people convicted of a felony once they had completed their sentence, including prison time, parole, and probation. The court ordered Secretary of State Bob Evnen (R) to comply with the law, which was enacted without Gov. Jim Pillen's (R) signature in April 2024.

On July 17, 2024, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) issued a formal opinion that said that only the Nebraska Pardons Board—consisting of the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state—and not the legislature, had the authority to restore voting rights, or shorten the waiting period for the restoration of voting rights, for individuals convicted of a felony. Following Hilgers' ruling, Evnen's office released a statement saying he was directing election officials in the state to stop registering to vote individuals with felony convictions who had not been pardoned.

Hilgers' opinion certified that two pieces of legislation adopted by the Nebraska legislature, 2005 Legislative Bill 53 and 2024 Legislative Bill 20, were unconstitutional. LB 53 restored voting rights for individuals convicted of a felony two years after the completion of their sentence. Before the adoption of the law, voting rights were only restored if the individual received a pardon. In 2024, Nebraska lawmakers revisited the law and passed LB 20, which removed the two-year waiting period and returned voting rights after the completion of a sentence, including parole and probation. Hilgers' opinion concluded: "L.B. 20 and the statutes it amends violate the separation of powers. By restoring the franchise for felons, the Legislature impermissibly arrogated the Board of Pardons’ executive power to itself. We conclude that they are therefore unconstitutional." Following the release of the opinion, Evnen's office issued a statement that said, "In accordance with the opinion, Secretary Evnen is directing county election offices to stop registering individuals convicted of felonies who have not been pardoned by the Nebraska Board of Pardons"— effectively returning the state's policy to its form before the adoption of LB 53 in 2005. According to reporting from the Omaha World-Herald: "Hilgers' decision came in an opinion, not a legal challenge, adding a layer of confusion to Evnen's direction, since attorney general opinions do not hold the same authority as state law."

LB 20, which passed the unicameral Nebraska State Senate 38-6 on April 11, was the first bill to become law in Nebraska without a governor's signature since 2001. Pillen wrote on April 17, “The Attorney General and the Secretary of State have identified significant potential constitutional infirmities regarding the bill. These issues relate to LB20’s compliance with several provisions of the Nebraska Constitution, including, but not limited to, Article II, Section 1, Article IV, Section 13, and Article VI, Section 2. … I will allow LB20 and LB20A to become law with neither my signature nor my endorsement of LB20’s constitutional validity.”

Oklahoma (2024)

On May 13, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB 1629, a bill that restores voting rights to people convicted of a felony after receiving a pardon or commutation of their sentence.

Oklahoma already restored voting rights to people convicted of a felony after completion of their sentence, including prison time, parole and probation, but individuals who received a pardon or commutation of their sentence were still ineligible to register or vote until the completion of time prescribed for incarceration, parole, and probation under their original conviction.

Under the new law, individuals convicted of a felony regain the right to vote immediately upon receiving a pardon, or a commutation that reduces their sentence to time served, including parole or probation, regardless of the sentence length or terms of their original conviction. The law also accounts for sentences stemming from a crime that has been reclassified from a felony to a misdemeanor, and allows individuals convicted of these crimes to immediately regain the right to vote when they are no longer in prison, on parole, or on probation for such an offense.

The legislation passed the Oklahoma State Senate 41-0 on April 16. It then passed a final reading in the Oklahoma House of Representatives 82-0 on May 7.

New Mexico (2023)

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed House Bill 4 into law on March 30, 2023. Proponents of the law referred to it as the New Mexico Voting Rights Act. HB4 made several changes to the state's election rules. HB4 automatically restored the right to vote for people convicted of a felony immediately after completion of their prison time. In the past, New Mexico restored voting rights to people convicted of a felony after completion of their entire sentence, including prison, probation, and parole.

Virginia (2023)

On March 22, 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) indicated in a statement that he would not continue the policy of automatically restoring voting rights to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence. The state's constitution does not provide for automatic restoration, but two former governors Terry McAuliffe (D) and Ralph Northam (D) used their authority to enact the policy. On August 7, 2024, a federal judge dismissed a challenge to Youngkin's reversal.

This change means that people convicted of a felony will be required to request voting rights restoration by submitting an application for a pardon to the governor's office. These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and decisions will be left to the governor's discretion.

Minnesota (2022-2023)

On March 3, 2023, Governor Tim Walz (D) signed House File 28 into law, restoring voting rights to approximately 50,000 Minnesotans who have been convicted of a felony upon completion of their incarceration. After signing, Walz said, “Minnesotans who have completed time for their offenses and are living, working, and raising families in their communities deserve the right to vote.” Following a legal challenge, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law on August 7, 2024.

Previously, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on February 15, 2023, that the right to vote is not guaranteed to people convicted of a felony in the state’s constitution and noted that the state legislature had the power to address the issue. The case involved four people who had been convicted of a felony and completed their sentences, but were still denied the right to vote because they were on probation, parole, or supervised release.

Connecticut (2021)

On June 23, 2021, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed Senate Bill 1202 into law, restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions who have been released from prison and placed on parole status.

Previously, people with a felony conviction were unable to vote until the terms of their parole had been completed. Individuals on probation were already eligible to vote.

The new statute formed part of a bill to implement the state's 2023 budget. It passed the Connecticut House of Representatives 89-50 June 17, 2021, with all but two Democrats voting in the majority, and the Connecticut State Senate 20-6 on June 17, 2021 along partisan lines with Democrats supporting passage.

New York (2021)

On May 4, 2021, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed Senate Bill 830 into law, which allowed individuals convicted of a felony to vote once their term of incarceration has ended.

Previously, people with a felony conviction were unable to vote unless they had been pardoned or had completed the terms of their parole. Individuals on probation were already eligible to vote. The bill passed the New York State Senate 43-20 in a partisan vote with Democrats supporting passage on February 22, 2021, and it passed the New York State Assembly 97-52 on April 21, 2021, with all but nine Democrats voting with the majority.

Washington (2021)

On April 7, 2021, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed House Bill 1078, which restores the right to vote to "all persons convicted of a felony offense who are not in total confinement."

Previously, people with a felony conviction were unable to vote until they were no longer "under the authority of the department of corrections." The bill passed the Washington House of Representatives 57-41 on February 24, 2021, with one Democrat voting with the minority and one Republican voting with the majority. It passed the Washington State Senate 27-22 on March 24, 2021, with two Democrats voting with the minority.

California (2020)

On November 3, 2020, California voters approved Proposition 17, which grants individuals on state parole the right to vote. The amendment was approved by a margin of 58.55% to 41.45%.

Previously, people with a felony conviction were unable to vote until the terms of their parole had been completed. Individuals on probation were already eligible to vote. The proposition was included on the ballot after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed ACA-6 into law on June 25, 2020. The amendment passed the California State Assembly 54-19 on September 5, 2019, with one Republican voting with majority and five Democrats voting with the minority. It passed the California State Senate 28-9 on June 24, 2020, with one Republican voting with the majority.

Iowa (2020)

On August 5, 2020, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) signed an executive order that restored the right to vote to Iowans convicted of felonies.

Under the bill, individuals convicted of felonies are eligible to vote upon completion of "any terms of confinement, parole, probation, or other supervisory release." Previously, an Iowan with a felony conviction was permanently ineligible to vote unless they applied individually to the governor's office.

New Jersey (2019)

On December 18, 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed Bill A5823 into law, a bill that restores voting rights to individuals convicted of a felony who are on parole or probation.

Previously, a person convicted of an "indictable offense" was unable to vote until the terms of their parole or probation had been completed. The legislation passed the New Jersey General Assembly 48-24, on November 25, 2019, with two Democrats voting with the minority and the New Jersey State Senate 22-17 on December 16, 2019, with two Democrats voting with the minority.

Florida (2018)

See also: Florida Amendment 4, Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative (2018)

On November 6, 2018, Florida voters approved an initiated constitutional amendment automatically restoring the right to vote for people with certain felony convictions (except those convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense) upon completion of their sentences, including prison, parole, and probation. The amendment was approved by a margin of 64.55 percent to 34.45 percent. The amendment took effect on January 8, 2019. Previously, people convicted of a felony in Florida could not automatically regain the right to vote; instead, a state board was able to restore voting rights on an individual basis.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony legislation

The table below lists bills related to voting rights for people convicted of a felony introduced during (or carried over to) each state's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official bill name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Sponsor party
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by state and then by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

Enacted felon voting rights legislation

As of July 2024, states have enacted eight bills related to felon voting rights. States enacted 14 bills in 2023 and four in 2022. States with Republican trifectas have passed the most bills on this topic in 2023 and 2024, while in 2022, states with Democratic trifectas enacted the most.

The chart below shows felon voting rights by state trifecta status from 2022 to 2024. Click here to see all enacted legislation on this subject.

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See also

• Voting
• Voter registration
• Voter identification laws by state

External links

• The Sentencing Project, "Locked Out 2022: Estimates of People Denied Voting Rights," October 25, 2019
• NCSL, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023