The Maryland state Senate today made a step in the right direction in making sure that elections are fair and open to all of the state's residents. The Senate overrode Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of legislation that would restore voting rights to more than 40,000 Marylanders with felony convictions who have served their time. Under the new law, once a person who was formerly incarcerated is released from prison, they will be allowed to vote.
Fred Mason, president of the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO, applauded the legislation:
Our elected officials heard the voice of working people across the state of Maryland. A strong voice that said justice and rehabilitation demands voting rights restoration! As we continue to build stronger communities, we must make it possible for all people to have a voice. Formerly incarcerated individuals deserve the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and participate fully in their communities. I proudly stand in support of this decision and the democracy we are intentionally building.
NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks noted that this is part of a larger national problem:
Throughout the country, an estimated 5.8 million American citizens are prevented from participating in the voting process. Nationally, one out of every 13 voting-eligible African Americans has been stripped of their voting rights. I applaud the courage of the Maryland legislators who voted to restore voting rights to the more than 63,000 people disenfranchised in Maryland due to previous convictions, of which 40,000 are African American. We firmly believe in second chances and that citizens who have completed their sentences be allowed to exercise the constitutional right to vote.