Restore voting rights

Election Day is very close. Unfortunately, nearly 1 in 10 otherwise eligible Kentuckians, including 26.2 percent of Black Kentuckians, are unable to vote due to their status as a current or former felon.

Most have already served their time (including probation and parole) in full.

Kentucky has one of the four-strictest former felon voting-rights laws and the highest level of black disenfranchisement in the U.S. The only way for these folks to regain their right to vote is by petitioning the governor, who then must individually reinstate those rights.

Immediately upon taking office, Gov. Matt Bevin repealed Gov. Steve Beshear’s executive order granting civil rights to 140,000 Kentuckians and has not granted a single restoration.

This rate of disenfranchisement is simply unacceptable if we are to be considered a healthy democracy.

We need to get House Bill 70, which would restore civil rights to many former felons, on the ballot and educate people on its necessity.

We need to educate ourselves and exercise our right to vote, keeping in mind those who have had those rights wrongfully withheld.

We need to elect progressive leaders who will fight for all Kentucky voices to be heard.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 7:49 PM with the headline "Restore voting rights."