Restoration of felons’ voting rights a Georgia success story

I voted just like any other registered Georgian.

It was once hard to believe that our state would ever turn the corner on its tough-on-crime attitude of the late 20th century led by a bipartisan initiative to stop the increasing crime rate of the 1980s and ’90s.

However, the efforts of local elected leaders and activists over the past 10 years, specifically the work of the Council of Criminal Justice Reform, have transformed Georgia into a national leader on crime prevention, rehabilitation and tax-saving solutions.

In Georgia, anyone who has completed a felony sentence is eligible to register to vote. While completion of one’s sentence has been a hot debate in other states in the Southeast, the Georgia Secretary of State’s voter registration application clearly states that “your felony sentence is considered completed even if you have outstanding monetary obligations other than fines, such as unpaid restitution, fees, costs or surcharges.”

In the middle of a runoff to determine the power dynamic of the U.S. Senate, we all expected it to resemble a battlefield. Nevertheless, those shots about just who should be able to vote hit harder when directed at a population that is already burdened by societal stigmas and systemic barriers. The rehabilitation of rights is a crucial part of the reentry process. I didn’t have to spend time in prison, but the idea that I am at my core a criminal is one that I and many others still grapple with years after completion of our sentences.

The time, financial cost and the physical energy it takes to earn back your rights is not lost on any person who has been convicted of a felony. When we complete our sentence to the state and register for any election, it’s earned and shows a level of commitment that many people would have a tough time imagining.

When we go to our local polling place and cast our vote, it is legitimate; this is why, when misinformation is directed at Georgians with felonies, especially in statements from local political figures, we must respond with facts.

Voting can make the most politically disengaged citizen feel like a politician. Many people with felony convictions just want to feel like citizens. The amount of hurdles those with felonies have to go through in order to participate in the most fundamental democratic act often leads to apathy and disillusionment. For all the outcry of Georgians with felonies voting, less than 15% who are eligible to vote actually exercise their constitutional right.

So when the state makes an attempt to aid that reentry process for those of us with felony convictions trying to enter back into society, state leaders should be overly cautious and aware of the facts. They would be best served to see our success as a positive for all Georgians.