VOTER SUPPRESSION AND DISENFRANCH ISEMENT

1. VOTER SUPPRESSION AND DISENFRANCH ISEMENT Barbara Bloom Criminal Justice Administration Sonoma State University

2. Voter Suppression • Race-Based Targeting • Voter Intimidation • Purging Voters from the Voting Rolls • Felony Disenfranchisement

3. The Long Shadow of Jim Crow • “Voter intimidation and suppression efforts have not been limited to a single party but have in fact shifted over time as voting allegiances have shifted. • In recent decades, African American voters have largely been loyal to the Democratic Party, resulting in the prevalence of Republican efforts to suppress minority turnout.”

4. Felony Disenfranchisement • Convicted felons lose the right to vote • Exclusion of felons from the body politic was derived from the concept of “civil death” • In 13 states a felony conviction can result in disenfranchisement, generally for life • An estimated 4.7 million Americans, or one in forty-three adults, have lost the right to vote as a result of a felony conviction

5. States Who Disenfranchise Ex-Offenders Permanently • Seven states deny the right to vote to all ex-offenders who have completed their sentences: Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Virginia

6. Racial Disparity and Disenfranchisement • Given the racial disparities in the criminal justice system, an estimated 1.4 million or 13% of African American men are disenfranchised – a rate of seven times the national average. • In states with the most restrictive laws, it is estimated that 30-40% of the next generation of African American males will lose their right to vote if current trends continue.

7. Women and Felony Disenfranchisement • More than half a million women have lost their right to vote. • An estimated 676,730 women are currently ineligible to vote as a result of a felony conviction. • Approximately 245,000 African American women cannot vote.

8. Disenfranchised Veterans • An estimated 585,355 veterans are unable to vote as a result of a felony conviction. • Approximately one of every eight disenfranchised persons is a veteran.

9. Election Day 2000 • Florida: An estimated 600,000 persons who had completed their felony sentences were unable to vote. The election was decided by 537 votes.

10. Election Day 2004 • The Election Protection Coalition was formed to identify and stop attempts to disenfranchise voters, especially in predominantly African American and Latino precincts across the country. • The Coalition is urging people to call their hotline, 1-866-OUR VOTE, if they are aware of efforts to discourage or prevent people from voting.