As the #2020PresidentialElection approached, the perennial conversation around who can or can’t vote reignited. In Maryland, one voting-related subject that continues to be contentious is whether imprisoned felons should be given #VotingRights while serving their sentences. Currently, you cannot vote in Maryland if you have been convicted of a felony and are serving court-ordered imprisonment for your conviction. 

While Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the most vocal proponents of felon enfranchisement, thinks that even those convicted of violent crimes should be allowed to vote, however, there are other points to consider. Suppose someone is unwilling to follow the law. In that case, they should not have a voice when it comes to enacting it, either directly (for example, in the case of a ballot initiative or referendum) or indirectly (by electing law enforcers and lawmakers). 

In Maryland, individuals considered underage or not of sound mind are not allowed to vote because their judgment cannot be trusted. That imprisoned felons have committed serious crimes is a good indicator that they are not predisposed to make educated decisions for the betterment of our country.

Prison is intended to be a corrective punishment, with consequences of a custodial sentence always including loss of democratic rights and freedom for the duration of the sentence. Overturning the law to give incarcerated felons voting rights might communicate the wrong idea. 

As a policy justification, John Locke’s Social Contract Theory has managed to withstand the test of time. In the past, it served as a rationale for enacting the felon disenfranchisement laws and remains one of the most compelling arguments today.

When an offender commits a crime, they do not just commit it against the victim but society as a whole. Opponents of disenfranchisement claim that the inability to vote stymies the felon’s remittance into a law-abiding society. However, they neglect to fully explain why the tonic of voting failed to keep the felon from committing the crime in the first place. 

According to Paul Berendt, a former Washington State #Democratic Party Chairman, most blue-collar, non-union men tend to vote #Republican very disproportionately, and a closer look at the felon population in Washington State proves that they are overwhelmingly blue-collar, non-union males. While this example is not derived from Maryland, it is sound proof that giving imprisoned felons voting rights might promote bias. 

People who have committed crimes against their fellow citizens do not meet the standards required for those awarded the privilege of self-governance. The fact that #MarylandVoters haven’t overturned the law that bars felons from voting keep the wrong people from taking part in the making of decisions that affect the entire state.