Voter suppression is term we have heard often over the past few years. Today I would like to discuss the disenfranchisement, or deprived voting rights, against criminals and felons who have served their sentence. I learned about this issue when reading a news article on the American Civil Liberty Union’s (ACLU) website on the disenfranchisement of felons. When a person receives a felony conviction as a result of a crime, it comes with multiple consequences that ultimately follow a person for years, even after they have served their time in prison. One of these long-term consequences includes losing their right to vote in elections. Depending on the state a person lives in; they can be banned from voting while incarcerated as well. This article insightfully mentions how the criminal justice system disproportionately affects Black and Brown people, meaning that these laws are disproportionately suppressing 
Black and Brown votes. There is a correlation here that these laws blocking felons from voting while incarcerated, and after the sentence is served, is rooted in the Jim Crow era, when Black Americans votes were suppressed through poll taxes and literacy tests. After learning this information, voter suppression sounds like a clear violation of a persons rights, and an example of systemic injustice. This article made me think about the class reading of “Can The Subaltern Speak?”. It made me wonder if felons, who are human that deserve to be heard, will ever have a voice that people with higher power socially and politically will ever be willing to listen to. Felons are a population that have historically been labeled as “less than” other groups because of their past actions, which could make them a subaltern. In the discussion of voter suppression, this is power dynamic that gives one population a voice to control over another population who have no say, Because felons cannot vote in most states, they cannot use their voice or be heard because the power dynamic deems them unworthy of voting. Using Spivak’s idea, those who fall on the oppressed side of examples cannot speak because these are groups that are socially and/or politically excluded from the hierarchy of power. But who is to say that felons don’t deserve the right to vote during/after their sentence? If local and national laws and policies are still affecting felons, then shouldn’t they have a say in their State and Country issues/representatives in elections? Below is a video of personal testimonies from individuals who have been incarcerated and have lost their rights to vote.
References
American Civil Liberties Union (2021, August 18). Block the Vote: How Politicians are Trying to Block Voters from the Ballot Box. American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/block-the-vote-voter-suppression-in-2020/
The Sentencing Project (2020, October 14). Free The Vote. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCeNFeMuoAM&t=254s
Thank you for the perspective!
This issue is so important and you did a great job of bringing it to light! I completely agree that felons are a subaltern; as a citizen of the US, you should be able to vote on how the government is run. I also think it’s important to point out how this is a feature, not a bug, of the prison system. By systematically targeting black men and sending them to prison, they are removed from the voting population, and since most black people tend to vote Democrat there is a huge advantage for Republican candidates because of these missing votes that allows them to stay in power. I don’t have a source for this right now, but I imagine this effect is more visible in the South (since the majority of the black population lives there) and is likely a factor in the steady reign of Republicans down there.
Thank you for putting this video into perspective. Being a brown skin toned woman, the inequalities in the government still surprise me. Targeting specific genders leaves room for others to talk badly not only about certain groups of people but the nation and cause a divide that isn’t needed. I am curious to know if there will ever come a time where most people will agree and listen before they have opinions on people?
This is something that needs to be talked about more. The right to vote is so important, we are given this to be able to participate in who runs the country. The fact there are still so many who want to but are unable, is alarming. They also should have a say, the chance to be heard by their vote. I also liked the connection you made with “Can the subaltern speak?” as it goes hand in hand with your topic.
This is an excellent topic to write/talk about, I liked how you tied the “Can the subaltern speak?” reading into the showcase. Everyone should have the right to vote and is a very powerful tool to be heard. Many aren’t able to and should be able to be heard by their vote.