The latest news on this front comes from a really interesting article written by city and county government reporter Michael McDevitt for the local Las Cruces Sun-News. Take a look at this excerpt:
Democrats in the Roundhouse are once again trying to remove barriers that prevent formerly incarcerated felons from regaining their right to vote. For Justin Allen, an intern with America Votes and a formerly-incarcerated felon himself, he sees it as an opportunity to give people their voices back.
State Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, is sponsoring a bill to give felons more immediate access to their voting rights following the completion of their prison sentences. She championed a similar bill in 2019, though that bill also sought to allow felons to vote while incarcerated. It did not pass.
You can also see more on this subject at either the Democracy Chronicles felon voting archive or African-American Voting Rights. Also, see our main section on American Democracy and our Voter Access articles focusing more broadly on the ease of voting and the various barriers in the way.
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