Voting Rights Restored, Yet Awareness Lags Behind
For the first time in over a decade, Luci Harrell, a recent law school graduate, will vote in the upcoming presidential election. After completing her parole earlier this year, she was legally allowed to register to vote, a moment she described as both “real and symbolic.”
Despite being one of an estimated 450,000 people in Georgia with past convictions eligible to vote, many remain unaware they have the right to cast a ballot. “Nobody comes back and informs you that your voting rights are restored,” said Pamela Winn, an Atlanta organizer who was formerly incarcerated.
Lack of Communication and Misinformation
The lack of a formal notification process has left many people with past convictions unsure about their voting eligibility. Winn emphasized that most individuals assume they’ve lost all rights once they’re convicted of a felony, creating a widespread misconception.
According to The Sentencing Project, almost 250,000 people in Georgia remain disenfranchised due to felony convictions. Georgia’s rules require individuals to complete their sentences, including probation and parole, before voting rights are restored.
High Rates of Felony Disenfranchisement in Georgia
Georgia’s restrictive policies on felony disenfranchisement are shared by 14 other states, though Georgia ranks eighth in terms of the highest number of people unable to vote due to felony convictions. Observers point to the state’s long prison and probation sentences as contributing factors.
“We have the No. 1 rate of correctional control,” said Ann Colloton from the Georgia Justice Project. “More people per capita are either incarcerated, on probation, or on parole than in any other state. That’s what drives our rate of felony disenfranchisement.”
Grassroots Efforts to Educate and Register Voters
Advocates like Winn are working hard to raise awareness. Her organization, IMPPACT, canvasses areas with high populations of people on probation to inform them of their rights. Recently, Winn and fellow advocate Travis Emory Barber appeared on a billboard in Atlanta with the message, “Formerly Incarcerated People/USE YOUR POWER TO VOTE.”
Despite these efforts, some individuals still find themselves confused about their eligibility. Sirvoris Sutton, who came by one of IMPPACT’s voter registration tents in Atlanta, learned that his 11-year parole period would prevent him from voting until it was complete. “It feels like another phase of incarceration again,” Sutton said.
Structural and Historical Barriers
The barriers to voting for formerly incarcerated people in Georgia are deeply rooted in historical structures. The restriction on voting for those with felony convictions dates back to the Jim Crow era. Over half of the disenfranchised voters in Georgia today are Black, according to estimates from The Sentencing Project.
For many, the battle is not just about access but overcoming the belief that their vote doesn’t matter. Winn highlighted how marginalized communities, especially those with criminal backgrounds, are often led to believe their votes are insignificant.
