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In a few parts of America, prisoners CAN vote.

But I sure can't.

I'm in Florida, where it is a headache to get your voting rights back after your release from your stay in prison.

I have access to a document dated June 2022 from the US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, which shows all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, explaining in reasonable detail the status of an incarcerated person with regard to voting. I figured this would be a good read for me when planning ahead for release, whether it's right now, or a decade hence, though I will need to have someone check this document for updates as I get closer.

I decided to give it a cover-to-cover read, as such, and well, this caught my attention right off the bat:

Maine, Puerto Rico, Vermont, or Washington D.C.
In Maine, Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Washington D.C., a criminal conviction never restricts your voting rights. You can vote even if you are incarcerated.

That alone is amazing to see.

Frankly, my status behind the wires should not remove my right to have a voice in the way this country is run. Consider what happens in places where a population may lean heavily in one direction politically, but the opposition not only manages to get their way, but then starts stacking the rules in their favor to engineer reasons to remove elements that get in their way.
(Or you can just watch some of the news networks if your imagination is broken.)
If you can delete enough votes by imprisoning them, then, uh... there isn't anyone to really stand in your way, right?
And if you take actions to continually stymy those who wish to speak out against your actions, could that not be considered a form of terrorism?

Terrorism

NOUNS - terrorism, act of terrorism, terrorist act

Definition
the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature

this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear

And, what about folks who are imprisoned for not conforming to the heteronorm or are promiscuous for pay? This does happen more than you think.

But, I digress.
Moving forward, on another page, I saw this:

Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, or Washington State
In these states, you only lose your right to vote if you are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction. If you lost your voting rights because of a conviction, you can register to vote immediately after your release.

Pretrial detention, misdemeanors, probation, and parole do not restrict your voting rights.

I like Maine or Vermont better, but this is a decent start. The rules are not particularly difficult: Your ballot gets shredded by concertina wire; once you're not living inside it, your ballot makes it to you if you want it.

It's certainly one heck of a lot better than Florida:

In Florida, your right to vote is taken away if you are convicted of a felony. Your rights will be restored automatically after you complete your entire sentence, including incarceration, parole and/or probation, and payment of all fines, fees, costs, and restitution. Note: This is not true if you were convicted of murder or a sexual offense.

Pretrial detention and misdemeanors do not restrict your voting rights.

If you are convicted of murder or of ANY sexual offense in Florida (note: getting caught urinating behind a dumpster can carry a Lewd and Lascivious charge, making it sexual in nature, just a thought), you have to petition the Governor of the State of Florida to get your voting rights back here.
But look carefully at what all you have to complete to get your rights back in Florida, and compare above!

  • EOS from Prison
  • Serve your CRD time (if applicable) AND your probation time until it's completed
  • Cough up and pay all of your fines, fees, restitution, etc

Astute readers may have noticed the word parole listed up there. If you came to prison in Florida in the last 25 or 30 years, maybe a bit longer... you are ineligible for parole because it does not exist for you. For the super long timers here, they just don't get paroled because the Parole Board does not exist in a meaningful way.

What needs to change?

All people in prison need fair and equitable access to the voting polls.
If they would otherwise be eligible to vote (US Citizenship, basically) if you deleted the rules that prevent them from voting now, let them declare a party, give them a booklet explaining what is on the ballot, fill out and submit a mailed ballot from their prison.
It is clearly feasible and doable, since Maine, Vermont, D.C., and the country of Puerto Rico all do it.

What do prisoners gain?

A voice, a say, and a potential sway in policies that affect us all.
A chance to learn how to exercise the democratic process -- many of them have been taught their vote does not matter, which is a damn lie.
The opportunity to be that one vote that tips the scales in favor of an Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson (see FL House Bill 889, FL Senate Bill 1160), which would add a layer of oversight and fairness in a place that reeks of abuse and half-spoilt food, lax medical care that disregards basic safety rules observed outside, and few to no educational opportunities to empower and uplift, to rehabilitate the justice-impacted many.

I can but cast the dice, and hope for the best outcome.