California votes to return voting rights to felons on parole
California voters on Tuesday approved a ballot initiative restoring voting rights to Golden State parolees.
In its current form, the state Constitution disenfranchises Californians with felony convictions who are still incarcerated or on parole. People on probation, in contrast, already have their right to vote enshrined in the state Constitution. The new measure, Proposition 17, will re-enfranchise about 50,000 people, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The measure won support from prominent California Democrats, including vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris and Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, who wrote the initiative. It passed with 59 percent of the vote, according to a projection by The New York Times.
“Prop. 17 gives Californians the chance to right a wrong and restore voting rights for a marginalized community and people of color,” McCarty said. “This is good for democracy and good for public safety.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/524452-california-votes-to-return-voting-rights-to-felons-on-parole
