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Cardin Applauds Veto Override Allowing Returning Citizens to Vote in Maryland
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), author of the Democracy Restoration Act, issued the following in reaction to the Maryland State Senate’s override of Governor Larry Hogan’s veto of MD. HB980.
“There isn’t a single member lawmaker at the federal or state level who hasn’t received a second chance at one point or another. I applaud the Maryland General Assembly for overriding the Governor’s veto to allowing returning citizens to rejoin our democracy and their local communities. Research shows that allowing returning citizens to vote reduces recidivism and thereby saves money that would be spent on housing repeat offenders. Breaking the cycle of mass incarceration and giving individuals a second chance to participate fully in their community should be a bipartisan goal. We’re building on the Second Chance Act that began in the George W. Bush Administration and current efforts in the U.S Senate.
“The United States is one of the few Western democracies that allows the permanent denial of voting rights for individuals with felony convictions. I am proud that my home state of Maryland has taken a bold step to correct this injustice. I commend the Maryland General Assembly and urge my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to move forward on such changes on a federal level.”
In the United States, an estimated 5.85 million adult citizens are currently disenfranchised as a result of a criminal conviction. State disenfranchisement laws have a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minorities. Eight percent of the African-American population, or 2 million African-Americans, are disenfranchised, compared to less than 2 percent of non-African-Americans. Currently, 1 of every 13 African-Americans is rendered unable to vote because of felony disenfranchisement– a rate four times greater than non-African Americans. In three states, more than one in five African Americans is unable to vote because of prior convictions (Florida-23 percent; Kentucky-22 percent; Virginia-20 percent). Latino citizens and Native Americans are also disproportionately disenfranchised based on their representation in the criminal justice system. In four states, Latinos were disenfranchised by a rate of more than 25 percent (California- 37 percent; New York-34 percent; Texas-30 percent; Arizona-27 percent).
