Louisiana - Get the word out that Felons can register to VOTE

[patchouli]

Louisiana voting rights change not causing surge in signups

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana law change earlier this year restored voting rights to thousands of convicted felons, but at most, only a few hundred have registered to vote so far.

Data from the secretary of state’s office shows modest upticks in the number of felons who have registered to vote since the law loosened March 1.

Louisiana legislators agreed to allow people on probation or parole for a felony to register to vote if they haven’t been incarcerated for at least five years, a change estimated to make 36,000 felons eligible for voter registration.

But since the law took effect, 581 felons have had their voting rights restored. The secretary of state’s office has said it cannot determine which were able to register specifically because of the law change.

Read entire article below:
https://www.apnews.com/69e942748f294121bc78b5e5c15a784f

Get out the vote: Inform others that felons may be able to vote. Its painless to have your Rights restored - I did it! I also I registered to vote as soon as I received my paperwork from the Gov (Kentucky) and have voted, will continue voting.

[miamac]

Terrific news. Should never have taken this long and the rest of the country needs to catch up.

[GaReform]

There is a great advocacy group in the New Orleans area that is making sure the word is spread. Their name is V.O.T.E. It stands for Voice Of The Experienced.They have been holding voter registration drives all over the state & are working with other groups to get people signed up. Here is a link to their voting rights page. It lists a lot of info about who can vote & where to go. https://www.vote-nola.org/voting-rights.html
We need to start electing DAs & Judges that are fair minded & willing to give 2nd chances to those who want to prove themselves. That's the best place to make change. Laws take time & effort to change but having people in place that work with the accused is often the fastest way to make a difference.

[patchouli]

From Louisiana DOC FAQ:

How do I apply for the restoration of voting rights? In Louisiana, the right to vote is automatically restored upon completion of your sentence of imprisonment, probation, or parole. Once an offender has completed a sentence of imprisonment or supervision, they will receive documentation from the facility where they were incarcerated or from the probation officer stating that they have completed the sentence (if this document is lost, an offender will need to contact the P&P District Office where they were supervised or the Clerk of Courts Office). They will take this documentation to the Registrar of voters’ office with a completed voter registration form, where their name will be restored to the voting rolls.
If convicted before the current state constitution took effect, which was January 1, 1975, an offender must apply for and receive a pardon from the governor to regain your right to vote.
Voters must register to vote at least 30 days prior to an election. If a voter registration application is mailed to the elections office, it must be postmarked at least 30 days prior to the election in which the voter intends to vote.


https://www.doc.louisiana.gov/freque...ked-questions/


Shoot, they don't have to apply for their voting rights! Just register to vote!