Newly Eligible Former Felons Register to Vote
Mon., Jul. 09, 2007 /Maryland news
By Babatunde Salaam
On July 2, after years of struggle and strife, activists from the coalition Maryland Got Democracy held a press conference to publicize the Voting Registration Protection Act of 2007 that restores voting rights to 52,000 state ex-offenders — before seven of these newly eligible citizens entered the Baltimore City Board of Elections and registered to vote.
Watch the video:
“I said I wasn’t going to cry, but today is the fulfillment of a six year journey for me,” sobbed Kimberly Haven, Executive Director of Justice Maryland and an ex-offender.
The newly eligible citizens submitted their voter registration applications void of the complicated restrictions found on the old forms. Gone is language about the type of crime, the number of convictions and the length of time since the sentence was completed.
“We begin the process of restoring our votes and reclaiming our voices. Soon we will be voiceless no more,” said Haven.
It took Haven, 46, nine years to get to this moment – three years behind bars and six years of lobbying with politicians – to see the law pass in Maryland’s General Assembly.
That change brought excitement in the seven ex-felons who showed up at the City Board of Elections.
“Voting brings about change. It lets others know that our voice and opinion do make a difference,” said Marlo Hargrove, 34. “I’m becoming more excited knowing that day and time has come.”
"... politics for the most part in this country ... controls everything ... If you don't like something that's being done in your community ... the person whose responsible for making those changes, for those conditions, is your politician ... and if you're voting ... you have an opportunity, if that person is not responsive to your concerns, to vote that person out of power," said Walter Lomax.
This opportunity to vote also affects the ex-offenders’ relationships and goals with their families. “I’d like to set a good example for my children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to take an active role in voting,” said ex-offender David Waller. Waller’s 18-year-old son, Chris Montague, attended the press conference to commemorate his father’s long awaited right to vote. The event was of great importance to Montague because he too came to register to vote. “I was ready to support him and take on some responsibility myself,” said Montague.
For Baltimore City, with the state's highest concentration of disenfranchised ex-felons, this law could have an impact on the upcoming city primary and general election.
According to Human Rights Watch, Maryland was one of four states in which black men comprised more than half of all disenfranchised people. Of the total adult black male population in Maryland, 15.4 percent could not vote, or 67,900 people. 3.6 percent lost the vote, which is double the national average.
Previously, first-time offenders regained the right to vote automatically, but second-time offenders did not. They needed a pardon from the governor. A 2002 law removed the restriction for second-time offenders, as long as they did not have more than one conviction for violent crimes, but added a three-year waiting period. The 2007 law removes the waiting period and restriction for violent offenses so that any ex-offender, except those convicted of buying or selling votes, can automatically register to vote when their imprisonment, probation and parole are completed.
According to Kara Gotsch, Director of Advocacy for The Sentencing Project there were 111,000 disenfranchised in Maryland — including 24,500 in jail or prison, 14,000 on parole and 20,000 on probation — and now the remaining 52,000 of these can register to vote.
“This means Maryland is moving into the mainstream in regard to voting rights. It is a good day for Maryland,” said Gotsch.
Now that Maryland has granted the vote to nearly all ex-felons, reentering society for ex-offenders should be easier, and the disproportionate disenfranchisement of black males should decline.
On July 2, after years of struggle and strife, activists from the coalition Maryland Got Democracy held a press conference to publicize the Voting Registration Protection Act of 2007 that restores voting rights to 52,000 state ex-offenders — before seven of these newly eligible citizens entered the Baltimore City Board of Elections and registered to vote.
Watch the video:
“I said I wasn’t going to cry, but today is the fulfillment of a six year journey for me,” sobbed Kimberly Haven, Executive Director of Justice Maryland and an ex-offender.
The newly eligible citizens submitted their voter registration applications void of the complicated restrictions found on the old forms. Gone is language about the type of crime, the number of convictions and the length of time since the sentence was completed.
“We begin the process of restoring our votes and reclaiming our voices. Soon we will be voiceless no more,” said Haven.
It took Haven, 46, nine years to get to this moment – three years behind bars and six years of lobbying with politicians – to see the law pass in Maryland’s General Assembly.
That change brought excitement in the seven ex-felons who showed up at the City Board of Elections.
“Voting brings about change. It lets others know that our voice and opinion do make a difference,” said Marlo Hargrove, 34. “I’m becoming more excited knowing that day and time has come.”
"... politics for the most part in this country ... controls everything ... If you don't like something that's being done in your community ... the person whose responsible for making those changes, for those conditions, is your politician ... and if you're voting ... you have an opportunity, if that person is not responsive to your concerns, to vote that person out of power," said Walter Lomax.
This opportunity to vote also affects the ex-offenders’ relationships and goals with their families. “I’d like to set a good example for my children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to take an active role in voting,” said ex-offender David Waller. Waller’s 18-year-old son, Chris Montague, attended the press conference to commemorate his father’s long awaited right to vote. The event was of great importance to Montague because he too came to register to vote. “I was ready to support him and take on some responsibility myself,” said Montague.
For Baltimore City, with the state's highest concentration of disenfranchised ex-felons, this law could have an impact on the upcoming city primary and general election.
According to Human Rights Watch, Maryland was one of four states in which black men comprised more than half of all disenfranchised people. Of the total adult black male population in Maryland, 15.4 percent could not vote, or 67,900 people. 3.6 percent lost the vote, which is double the national average.
Previously, first-time offenders regained the right to vote automatically, but second-time offenders did not. They needed a pardon from the governor. A 2002 law removed the restriction for second-time offenders, as long as they did not have more than one conviction for violent crimes, but added a three-year waiting period. The 2007 law removes the waiting period and restriction for violent offenses so that any ex-offender, except those convicted of buying or selling votes, can automatically register to vote when their imprisonment, probation and parole are completed.
According to Kara Gotsch, Director of Advocacy for The Sentencing Project there were 111,000 disenfranchised in Maryland — including 24,500 in jail or prison, 14,000 on parole and 20,000 on probation — and now the remaining 52,000 of these can register to vote.
“This means Maryland is moving into the mainstream in regard to voting rights. It is a good day for Maryland,” said Gotsch.
Now that Maryland has granted the vote to nearly all ex-felons, reentering society for ex-offenders should be easier, and the disproportionate disenfranchisement of black males should decline.