Tough questions about felon voting rights

Felonious child endangerment, assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, human trafficking, arson and burglary are felonies in Iowa.

There were 52,000 felons in Iowa in 2018. Should they be given the right to vote upon release? Does serving their time make them a better citizen?

A prisoner can be a model citizen while in prison only to change after his release. That is why there is a review to determine if the person is responsible.

If the right to vote is an incentive, not a given, the felon can earn the right to vote from their behavior after release.

Presently, the governor reviews the history of the felons to determine if they act responsibly and can vote responsibly. It's better to encourage voting by responsible people than to let all ex-felons vote and regret it later.

Marcia Parmenter

Marion