DEAR ABBY: You said in your column that a felon loses his right to vote. I think your experts need to bone up on constitutional law.
All citizens are allowed to vote as long as they are registered and are not serving a prison term (for felony conviction) and/or on parole. Once the parole has been served and the convict has been discharged from the sentence, his constitutional right to vote is restored.
Voting is not a privilege, Abby, it is a right! -- DON WEST, PARALEGAL INVESTIGATIONS, LONG BEACH, CALIF.
DEAR DON: I checked with my legal expert to be certain that I had not misled my readers. In 47 states and the District of Columbia, upon a felony conviction the right to vote is lost. In many, but not all states, the right to vote is restored upon completion of the sentence or parole. Some states require a pardon or administrative or court procedure before an ex-convict can vote again.
The courts have upheld state laws that prohibit felons from serving on juries, holding elective office and working as peace officers, and have limited other rights. So, while felons are afforded due process of law, their rights may be limited or revoked either permanently or temporarily, depending on the right and the state where the felon resides.