For the People Act Won’t Give All Convicted Felons the Right to Vote

Layne Radlauer

Politics

11th July 2021

For the People Act Won’t Give All Convicted Felons the Right to Vote

They would gain voting rights after completing their sentence (Getty Images).

The Claim

The For the People Act, also known as the S1 bill, would give all convicted felons the right to vote.

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Emerging story

In May, the House of Representatives passed the For the People Act, a bill to make voting easier and more accessible. It would make more allowance for early voting, improve cybersecurity for voting machines, and other measures. On June 22nd, Republicans dropped debate on the bill. Some, including Senator Ted Cruz, made contradicting interpretations about the bill.

A supporting image within the article body

One claim is that it would give all felons the right to vote, including those still incarcerated. Social media users shared their opposition to the bill, using this claim as support for their argument.

Misbar’s Analysis

In its current form, S1 would not give all felons the right to vote. Rather, it would give the right to vote back upon full completion of their sentence.

This notion may have begun months ago while it was still being written in the House. A few progressive Democrats tried to make it so that incarcerated felons could vote, but that did not come to pass. All Republicans and a majority of Democrats voted against the measure.