Louisville Peace Community

The State of Kentucky prohibits felons currently on probation, in prison, or on parole from voting. In addition, all former felons remain disfranchised permanently after the completion of their sentence. Any former felon seeking to regain their right to vote must apply for a pardon from the Governor. Although recent legislation has been passed in order to mandate education about the application process, the current governor, contacting ex-felons by letter, instituted additional requirements---an essay, three personal references and their contact information.

Public Education Mandate: In 2001, the legislature passed a bill that requires the Department of Corrections to inform and aid eligible offenders in completing the civil rights restoration process.

Quick Facts:

Total Number Disfranchised : 147,434
Percent Disfranchised : 4.9%
Total African-Americans Disfranchised : 35,955
Percent African-Americans Disfranchised : 17.4% (most info from Right to Vote)

10/04/2004: 705 DENIED! (see complete breakdown)

Resources

View video

How do I Learn More?

ACLU-Kentucky sponsored state-wide programs about disenfranchisement of ex-felons this year and is sponsoring continuing work in this area.

The Democracy Resource Center is an action research organization whose work supports grassroots organizing and promotes a social justice worldview in Kentucky. DRC seeks to overcome racism and other oppressions and win social, economic, and environmental justice.

The Sentencing Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which promotes reduced reliance on incarceration and increased use of more effective and humane alternatives to deal with crime. It is a nationally recognized source of criminal justice policy analysis, data, and program information. Its reports, publications, and staff are relied upon by the public, policymakers and the media. The link above directs you to their Felony Disenfranchisement Information. Other resources on this site include: general information about the impact of disenfranchisement on the nation, on minorities (for example, African American and Latino), on veterans and women.

One nation? Hardly. Just take a look at how varied disfranchisement laws really are. Link here to the Right to Vote map showing the variations in eligiblity. The good news is that advocates all around the country are working to break down these barriers. Right to Vote has five partner coalitions in Alabama, Florida, Maryland, New York and Texas. Learn more about the work we are doing on the ground and how you can get involved.

Demos: works to strengthen American democracy by combining advocacy efforts with new research. Currently, they work in two main areas. First, they collaborate with a range of partners to help enact election day registration, a reform that increases turnout and reduces problems at polling places. Second, they work to overturn laws that unfairly bar former prisoners from voting. Link here for their list re-enfranchisement tools for ex-felons, activists and activist-ex-felons.

"The Last Disenfranchised Class" a November 24th, 2003 article in the Nation by Rebecca Perl.

Public Radio (2003) weighs in on Disenfranchisement of felons, immigrants, the disabled. And on a September 22, 2004 "All Things Considered" audio segment the situation in Atlanta is discussed. See the NYT article (9/23//2004) about this Atlanta study and another one focusing on Rhode Island.

"Barred from Voting" power point presentation by Kevin Zhao (PDF).

Advancement Project is a democracy and justice action group working with communities that seek to build a fair and just multi-racial democracy in America. Using law, public policy and strategic communications, Advancement Project acts in partnership with local communities to advance universal opportunity, equity and access for those left behind in America. They advance: Inclusion and equity, engagement of excluded communities, a multiracial, multicultural vision, innovative approaches to racial issues, challenges to structures that produce inequality and workable solutions. Here is their "Re-enfranchisement! A Guide for Individual Restoration of Voting Rights..."

NAACP on "Reenfranchisement." (Arrest statistics that support the NAACP article argument).

Sociologists Jeff Manza and Christopher Uggen's Felon Disenfranchisement Project.

Civil Rights Movement Veterans' information on Voting Rights History: Two Hundred Years of Struggle.

Local articles: CJ 2/2002: "Justice Denied: Kentucky’s Felony Disenfranchisement Laws." LH-L 9/20/2004: John Roach, general counsel to the Governor, "Governor following law on felon voting." with reader retort (9/23) and protest story (9/24/2004)

How do I get my Rights Restored?

U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division: Restoring Your Right to Vote in Kentucky. (Incomplete, 2000).

Kentucky State Board of Elections Information Guide: Directs Ex-offenders to contact local parole board.

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law: information about re-enfranchisement procedures in Kentucky.