The Freedom to Vote

North Carolina is one of a handful of states that disenfranchise people living in our communities who are on felony probation and parole. Unfortunately, this policy, which dates back to the early 1900’s, disenfranchised nearly 70,000 North Carolinians in 2017. This number doesn’t even begin to count the number of people who never re-registered to vote or did not realize their rights had been restored upon completion of their probation or post-release supervision. Despite the fact that these tax-paying community members are a part of our neighborhoods, churches, and civic groups, they are denied the ultimate right to civic participation — the right to vote.