+Honor

Constructive
There are already several limitations on voting. Children under 18 are not allowed to vote, The
mentally ill are not allowed to vote, non citizens are not allowed to vote, what makes felons any
different? These restrictions are put into place because each of the groups presents reasons to
doubt the potential voters good judgement and may represent interests that dont coincide with
the interests of ordinary citizens. Being convicted of a criminal felony should be cause to doubt
their judgment. According to Roy Latham The U.S. Bureau of Justice reports that over twothirds of released prisoners were rearrested within three years. Therefore its not credible to say
because a criminal has served their prison sentence, they should be allowed the privileges that
regular, law-abiding citizens have. In the words of Roger Clegg, There are certain minimum and
objective standards of trustworthiness, responsibility, and commitment to our laws that we
require before people are entrusted with a role in the solemn enterprise of self-government. It is
true that there are some criminals, just as there are many 16 year olds who are fully competent
and able of casting a good and well informed vote. But because the odds so heavily counter this,
and, according to Latham, there is about 85% recidivism, there has to be laws in place to fence
out the entire demographic.
Section 2 of the 14th Amendment states that ...when the right to vote at any election...is denied
to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the
United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime,
the basis of representation therein shall be reduced It is therefore expressly stated in the
constitution that the right to vote only protects law abiding citizens on topics related to
discrimination based on gender, race,and reproductive rights, not to criminals. According to the
research of Hans A. Von Spakovsky a Vanderbilt graduate, in a 2006 case, Circuit judge Alex
Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, stated that this section of the constitution does
not pertain to felons and ex felons.
Racial discrimination in felon disenfranchisement is often one of the arguments that our
opponents make. I will wholeheartedly agree that any form of discrimination based on race
should be and IS rightfully so unconstitutional. However, the larger demographic of minorities in
prison is an issue in the prison system itself not in felon disenfranchisement.
When one commits a crime, they are taking away the rights of another in one way or
another. Why should a felon be granted the right to vote when they stripped others of their
fundamental rights whether it was through tax fraud or robbery. When one is found guilty by the
court, it is so that they can be punished and experience their own rights taken away. Giving ex
felons all of their rights back at once does not help the situation and in fact makes it worse. After
a felon has completed their sentence, giving them the right to vote should not be used as a means
of rehabilitation but instead as an incentive to not commit the crime in the first place.

This statement from the Center for Equal Opportunity sums up the debate clearly,It
makes sense that felons should lose their right to vote. You dont have a right to make the laws if
you arent willing to follow them yourself. To participate in self-government, you must be
willing to accept the rule of law.