1. VOTER SUPPRESSION AND DISENFRANCHISEMENT Barbara Bloom Criminal Justice Administration Sonoma State University

2. Voter Suppression Race-Based Targeting Voter Intimidation Purging Voters from the Voting Rolls Felony Disenfranchisement

3. The Long Shadow of Jim Crow “Voter intimidation and suppression efforts have not been limited to a single party but have in fact shifted over time as voting allegiances have shifted. In recent decades, African American voters have largely been loyal to the Democratic Party, resulting in the prevalence of Republican efforts to suppress minority turnout.”

4. Felony Disenfranchisement Convicted felons lose the right to vote Exclusion of felons from the body politic was derived from the concept of “civil death” In 13 states a felony conviction can result in disenfranchisement, generally for life An estimated 4.7 million Americans, or one in forty-three adults, have lost the right to vote as a result of a felony conviction

5. States Who Disenfranchise Ex- Offenders Permanently Seven states deny the right to vote to all ex-offenders who have completed their sentences: Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Virginia

6. Racial Disparity and Disenfranchisement Given the racial disparities in the criminal justice system, an estimated 1.4 million or 13% of African American men are disenfranchised – a rate of seven times the national average. In states with the most restrictive laws, it is estimated that 30-40% of the next generation of African American males will lose their right to vote if current trends continue.

7. Women and Felony Disenfranchisement More than half a million women have lost their right to vote. An estimated 676,730 women are currently ineligible to vote as a result of a felony conviction. Approximately 245,000 African American women cannot vote.

8. Disenfranchised Veterans An estimated 585,355 veterans are unable to vote as a result of a felony conviction. Approximately one of every eight disenfranchised persons is a veteran.

9. Election Day 2000 Florida: An estimated 600,000 persons who had completed their felony sentences were unable to vote. The election was decided by 537 votes.

10. Election Day 2004 The Election Protection Coalition was formed to identify and stop attempts to disenfranchise voters, especially in predominantly African American and Latino precincts across the country. The Coalition is urging people to call their hotline, 1-866-OUR VOTE, if they are aware of efforts to discourage or prevent people from voting.