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California - Similar to OH, any citizen, or dual citizen, 18 years or older can vote - If you are convicted of a felony (example illegal drug use), you loose your right to vote while in prison - Once you are released from prison, you are considered a "Felon" for life, and never allowed to vote again = for your entire life.
But according to the website of the California Secretary of State:
Voting Rights: Persons with a Criminal History
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Eligibility Requirements
You can register to vote and vote if you are:
- A United States citizen and a resident of California,
- 18 years old or older on Election Day,
- Not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship).
Persons with a criminal history who
can register to vote:
- In county jail:
- serving a misdemeanor sentence (a misdemeanor never affects your right to vote)
- Because jail time is a condition of probation (misdemeanor or felony)
- Serving a felony jail sentence
- Awaiting trial
- On probation
- On mandatory supervision
- On post-release community supervision
- On federal supervised release
- A person with a juvenile wardship adjudication
Persons with a criminal history who
cannot register and vote:
- Currently imprisoned in:
- State prison
- Federal prison
- Currently serving a state prison felony sentence in a county jail or other correctional facility*
- Currently on parole with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
- Once you are done with parole your right to vote is restored, but you must re-register online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or by filling out a paper voter registration card.
Yes, but let's look at the wording and how it is used carefully.
- If you are on parole, then you cannot vote.
Virtually everyone, from a DUI, theft, serious speeding (not a few mph, but certainly 30+ mph over the limit) public drunkenness, to hardened criminal is put on probation. It isn't unusual for ever minor crimes to get 1 - 3 years.
Along with the probation, are the conditions of probation:
- Meet with probation officer on a very specific schedule, which is his schedule not yours - so you have to tell your boss, take time off of work, etc. In a workaholic society like we have, who wants to have workers that have to leave to go to meet with the parole officer?
- Many judges have started adding on "no alcoholic beverages while on probation". That means you might have a speeding ticket and can't have a beer (or vote) for a year.
- You might not be able to leave the county, and certainly the state, without written permission. If you live near a state border (even here, that is just 4 hours drive), that can be a problem, especially if you are young.
It isn't unusual for someone to "slip" and have some wine with Christmas dinner. They then put the person on the stand, ask them under oath if they have kept the conditions of their probation. They also ask their friends, under oath. If you lie, good chance to get caught lying under oath. If you admit that you had a glass of wine - probation period is extended.
You can argue that being in jail for a misdemeanor doesn't affect your right to vote, but just try and pull it off. You can hardly get regularly needed medications while in jail, much less vote.
If you have a criminal history, then usually you cannot get subsidies to attend college and cannot live in college housing. That makes it very hard to raise the education level.
It is a viscous circle that few lower income people can escape from, and that is in a state that claims to have a safety net and encourage voting.
EDITED: 25 May 2017 15:15 by HARRYN