VOTER HELP DESK

Voting as a Felon

Your rights will differ from state to state. Find out how you can cast your vote below.

This material was produced by The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU; for more information on this and related issues, please visit www.brennancenter.org

State	Voting Information
Alabama	Permanent disenfranchisement for at least some people with criminal convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration. People with certain felony convictions involving moral turpitude can apply to have their voting rights restored upon completion of sentence and payment of fines and fees; people convicted of some specific crimes are permanently barred from voting.
Alaska	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Arizona	Permanent disenfranchisement for at least some people with criminal convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration. People convicted of one felony can have their voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including all prison, parole, and probation terms and payment of legal financial obligations. People convicted of two or more felonies are permanently barred from voting unless pardoned or restored by a judge.
Arkansas	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation. Under Arkansas law, failure to satisfy legal financial obligations associated with convictions may result in post-sentence loss of voting rights.
California	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison and discharge from parole (probationers may vote).
Colorado	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison and discharge from parole (probationers may vote).
Connecticut	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison and discharge from parole (probationers may vote).
Delaware	Permanent disenfranchisement for at least some people with criminal convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration. People with felony convictions can have their voting rights restored five years after completion of sentence and payment of fines and fees. People who are convicted of certain disqualifying felonies are permanently disenfranchised.
District of Columbia	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Florida	Permanent disenfranchisement for at least some people with criminal convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration. Most people with felony convictions have their right to vote restored upon completion of sentence and payment of restitution. People with certain felony convictions, mostly violent crimes or sexual offenses, must individually apply for restoration of rights or complete a fifteen-year waiting period.
Georgia	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Hawaii	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Idaho	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Illinois	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Indiana	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Iowa	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Kansas	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Kentucky	Permanent disenfranchisement for all people with felony convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration.
Louisiana	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Maine	No disenfranchisement for people with criminal convictions.
Maryland	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Massachusetts	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Michigan	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Minnesota	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Mississippi	Permanent disenfranchisement for at least some people with criminal convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration. People who are convicted of any of ten types of disqualifying offenses, including felonies and misdemeanors, are permanently disenfranchised. Others never lose the right to vote.
Missouri	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Montana	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Nebraska	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation. In Nebraska, voting rights are restored two years after the completion of sentence.
Nevada	Permanent disenfranchisement for at least some people with criminal convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration. The right to vote is automatically restored to people convicted of first-time non-violent felonies upon completion of sentence. People with multiple felony convictions and those convicted of violent felonies cannot vote unless pardoned or granted a restoration of civil rights from the court in which they were convicted.
New Hampshire	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
New Jersey	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
New Mexico	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
New York	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison and discharge from parole (probationers may vote).
North Carolina	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
North Dakota	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Ohio	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Oklahoma	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Oregon	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Pennsylvania	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Rhode Island	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
South Carolina	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
South Dakota	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison and discharge from parole (probationers may vote).
Tennessee	Permanent disenfranchisement for at least some people with criminal convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration. People convicted of some felonies after 1981 can have their voting rights restored if they have completed their full sentences, paid all restitution, and are current with child support payments. People convicted of certain felonies cannot regain the right to vote unless pardoned.
Texas	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Utah	Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.
Vermont	No disenfranchisement for people with criminal convictions.
Virginia	Permanent disenfranchisement for all people with felony convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration.
Washington	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation. Under Washington law, failure to satisfy legal financial obligations associated with convictions may result in post-sentence loss of voting rights.
West Virginia	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Wisconsin	Voting rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation.
Wyoming	Permanent disenfranchisement for at least some people with criminal convictions, unless government approves individual rights restoration. People convicted of a non-violent felony for the first time can have their rights restored five years after completion of sentence. People with multiple felony convictions and those convicted of violent felonies are permanently barred from voting, unless pardoned or restored to rights by the Governor.