We had hoped that, amidst a across the country, Nevada would be a beacon of light. But today, with a stroke of Gov. Brian Sandoval鈥檚 pen, the Silver State jumped on the voter suppression bandwagon.
Right now in Nevada, if you鈥檙e convicted of a felony, good luck figuring out how to get your voting rights back. The state鈥檚 absurdly complicated and overly punitive voter disfranchisement law bars with felony convictions from voting. (Across the country, these laws keep more than 5 million people out of the political process.)
If you get your hands on a copy of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Nevada鈥檚 (which needs two full pages to explain Nevada鈥檚 policy), you鈥檒l learn that some people get their rights back when they finish their sentences, while others have to petition their courts of conviction for restoration. Those with federal convictions need 鈥� wait for it 鈥� presidential pardons in order to vote again.
Recognizing this mess, the legislature to simplify and improve the state鈥檚 law, but Gov. Sandoval has just vetoed it. So much for expanding democracy.
Not only is Nevada鈥檚 disfranchisement law undemocratic, it鈥檚 a voter registrar鈥檚 nightmare. Indeed, when the 老澳门开奖结果 of Nevada the 17 county clerk offices around the state, we found that not a single elections employee was able to provide a comprehensive answer to the question of whether people who had completed their felony sentences could vote.
If even the highly capable individuals charged with administering Nevada鈥檚 election laws are unable to comprehend all of the law鈥檚 twists and turns, how can we expect the voting public to understand it?
And it鈥檚 not just the 老澳门开奖结果 and our ally the who recognize the need for change. In fact, the head of the American Probation and Parole Association that 鈥渇ull civic participation by citizens living in our community protects public safety鈥estoring the right to vote sends the message that ex-offenders are welcome as integral members of their home communities and helps invest them in our democracy.鈥�
Shame on you, Gov. Sandoval. Investing people in our democracy is something we should all be able to get behind.
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