California Governor Signs Bill Giving Felons Right to Vote

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Townhall:

Felons in California will now have the right to vote behind bars thanks to AB 2466, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law on Wednesday.

 

As part of a progressive effort to hasten their transition back into society, thousands of felons in county jail will now be able to take part in California elections.

 

Under the new law, anyone convicted of a felony, but who is not currently in state or federal prison or on parole, is allowed to vote.

 

California’s constitution denies the right to vote to anyone in prison or on parole. In 2011, the state’s Realignment Plan shifted many of the state’s corrections program responsibilities to local government. It spurred the transfer of many low-level felony offenders to county-run jails and programs in an effort to reduce overcrowded state and federal prisons and save money.

 

AB 2466 was borne from a 2014 lawsuit on behalf of those low-level felons who were no longer in state or federal prison. The lawsuit argued the people in county programs shouldn’t be classified the same as other felons, and won.