America's Disenfranchised: Why Restoring Their Vote Can Save the Soul of Our Democracy

Desmond Meade

Open Access Published by Cornell University Press 2021

America's Disenfranchised

Why Restoring Their Vote Can Save the Soul of Our Democracy

Desmond Meade
Funded by: Penn State University

In the series Brown Democracy Medal

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501763762

Overview
Contents

About this book

The Lawrence and Lynne Brown Democracy Medal, presented by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State, recognizes outstanding individuals, groups, and organizations that produce innovations to further democracy in the United States or around the world.

Voting is foundational in a democracy, yet over six million American citizens remain stripped of their ability to participate in elections. Once convicted of a felony, people who complete their sentences reenter society, but no longer with the civil rights they once had. They may return to school, secure employment to provide for their families, and become law-abiding, tax-paying citizens—sometimes for decades—and still be denied the voting rights afforded to every other citizen.

Desmond Meade, director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and a returning citizen himself, played an instrumental role in the landslide 2018 Amendment 4 victory in Florida, which used the ballot box to restore voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians with a previous felony conviction. Meade argues how, state by state, America can do better. His efforts in Florida present a compelling argument that creating access to democracy for those living on the fringes of society will create a more vibrant and robust democracy for all. He is the winner of the 2021 Brown Democracy Medal for his continuing work to restore voting rights and connect Americans along shared social values.

Topics

Frontmatter Open Access Download PDF	i
McCourtney Institute for Democracy Open Access Download PDF	ii
Laurence and Lynne Brown Democracy Medal Open Access Download PDF	ii
Contents Open Access Download PDF	v
Introduction Open Access Download PDF	1
Jim Crow at the Ballot Box Open Access Download PDF	11
The Campaign Open Access Download PDF	17
Lessons Learned from Second Chances Campaign Open Access Download PDF	39
Old Habits Are Hard to Break Open Access Download PDF	46
Conclusion Open Access Download PDF	63
Notes Open Access Download PDF	69
About the Author Open Access Download PDF	73

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Audience: General/trade;
Pages
- Main content: 84
Keywords: voting rights; voting rights in florida; felons and the right to vote; felon voting rights

eBook

Published: November 15, 2021
ISBN: 9781501763762