A State-By-State Action Plan on Expanding Voting Rights for Felons

     A note before we begin: 19 states will not appear in this list. Vermont and Maine already allow felons to vote even while incarcerated; there's not more progress that can be made. In Indiana, Virginia, Wisconsin, Texas, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Minnesota, Kansas, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, felons are not restricted from voting entirely but no more progress can be made with the governments currently in place. In Mississippi, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama, felons are completely ineligible to vote, the governments are solidly Republican, and no ballot initiatives exist. The silver lining of this is that, while the impression most Americans have is that felons can't vote, we could soon live in a country where that is only true in five states, and, in fact, where more states could allow prisoners to vote than restrict felons from voting entirely. 

     Felon voting restrictions were designed in the Jim Crow era in a targeted attack to prevent people of color from voting and, to this day, continue to fulfill that purpose. Stopping felons from voting serves no role in either rehabilitating people or preventing them from offending again, and it serves no political purpose, either. Felony disenfranchisement has been worn down substantially, but even more remains to be done to end it entirely. This is a critical tenet in the fight for voting rights. Here's how it can be done:

1. Alaska: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison and parole; after prison; and then from prison.
2. Arizona: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison, probation, and parole; then after prison and parole; then after prison; then from prison.
3. Arkansas: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison and parole; after prison; and then from prison.
4. California: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote after prison and then from prison.
5. Colorado: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote after prison and then from prison.
6. Connecticut: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote after prison and then from prison.
7. Delaware: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote after prison, probation, and parole; then after prison and parole; then after prison; then from prison.
8. Florida: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison, probation, and parole; then after prison and parole; then after prison; then from prison.
9. Hawaii: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote from prison.
10. Idaho: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison and parole; after prison; and then from prison.
11. Illinois: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote from prison.
12. Maryland: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote from prison.
13. Massachusetts: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote from prison.
14. Michigan: Use a ballot amendment to allow felons to vote from prison.
15. Missouri: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison and parole; after prison; and then from prison.
16. Montana: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote from prison.
17. Nebraska: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison and parole; after prison; and then from prison.
18. Nevada: Use legislation and/or ballot initiatives to allow felons to vote after prison, parole, and probation; then after prison and parole; then after prison; and then from prison.
19. New Hampshire: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote from prison.
20. New Jersey: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote after probation and parole; and then after parole; and then after prison; and then from prison.
21. New Mexico: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote after prison and parole, after prison, and then from prison.
22. New York: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote from prison.
23. North Dakota: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote from prison.
24. Ohio: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote from prison.
25. Oklahoma: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison and parole; after prison; and then from prison. 
26. Oregon: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote from prison.
27. Rhode Island: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote in prison.
28. South Dakota: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison and parole; after prison; and then from prison. 
29. Utah: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote from prison.
30. Washington: Pass legislation allowing felons to vote after prison and parole; after prison; and then from prison.
31. Wyoming: Use a ballot initiative to allow felons to vote after prison, probation, and parole; then after prison and parole; then after prison; then from prison.