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Report: More Than 312,000 Felons Can’t Vote in Kentucky
By: Associated Press
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – A new report shows Kentucky has more than 312,000 people who cannot vote because of a felony conviction, a 67 percent increase from 2006.
Kentucky is one of three states that impose lifetime voting bans on people with felony convictions. A report from the League of Women Voters of Kentucky shows 92 percent of those with felony convictions have been released from prison or jail and live in the community but cannot vote.
Democratic state Rep. George Brown has proposed an amendment to the state’s Constitution that would automatically restore voting rights to convicted felons once they have completed their prison sentences. If state lawmakers approve the proposal, the amendment would be put on the ballot in 2020 for voters to decide.