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The State of Connecticut has restored the right to vote to people who are on parole, ending the only voting-eligibility law in the country that treated people on probation and parole differently.

Connecticut now joins 20 other states and Washington, DC, in providing that every citizen living in the community has the right to vote. This latest victory for voting rights advocates reflects national momentum in the fight against felony disenfranchisement.

At the federal level, legislation has been introduced that would automatically restore the right to vote in federal elections to people with past criminal convictions who are no longer incarcerated.

Felony disenfranchisement laws are a legacy of our nation’s history of racial injustice, enacted to prevent African Americans from voting and ensure white supremacy. Millions of Americans are barred from voting today because of state felony disenfranchisement laws that disproportionately affect Black citizens.

We would like to thank the Equal Justice Initiative for the content. Click HERE to view the original comprehensive article.