Kohl-Welles to press forward with legislation to restore felon voting rights

OLYMPIA – Notwithstanding opinions handed down today by the Washington State Supreme Court on the issue, Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, said voting rights should not be denied to those who have served their time but have been unable to pay their fines.

“While I respect the wisdom and experience of the plurality, in this matter I believe they are misguided,” Kohl-Welles said. “Those who have served their sentences and followed the process to have their voting rights restored should not be denied this fundamental right over unmet financial obligations. It is not good public policy to deny the right to vote to anyone based upon monetary circumstances, while those who have the financial means can get their voting rights restored.”

Kohl-Welles said that withholding the right to vote serves to alienate and distance those who are eager to re-enter society as contributing and productive members. She also said that restoring the right of felons to vote would allow the secretary of state and county elections officials to do their jobs. Right now, elections officials cannot determine with absolute accuracy who is an eligible voter.

Presently, Washington revokes the right to vote of every person who is convicted of a felony. The right to vote is restored when the person has completed all conditions of his or her sentence, including full payment of fines, penalties and restitution, and a court has confirmed that the person’s right to vote should be restored.

Kohl-Welles intends to pursue passage of legislation she sponsored in the past session to restore voting rights. Senate Bill 5530, which passed out of the Senate Government Operations & Elections Committee but stalled in the Senate Rules Committee, would:

• Automatically restore the right to vote to offenders upon release from prison and Department of Corrections work release;
• Revoke the right to vote for people who violate the conditions of their sentences and are returned to prison or work release; and
• Restore the right to vote when a person is released again from prison and Department of Corrections work release.

Kohl-Welles pointed out that 14 states and the District of Columbia automatically restore the voting rights of felons after they have completed their sentences. Two states, Maine and Vermont, never take away the right to vote upon a conviction.

“The bottom line with my bill is that people in prison would not vote, period,” Kohl-Welles said. “People not in prison, after meeting residency requirements and following registration procedures, would be eligible to vote.”

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