Convicted Criminals Voting Rights

Are those convicted of a crime elligible to vote?

According to the ACLU website, This question is puzzling to state elected oficcials accross the country. On October 1,2008, "Reports Show Widespread Confusion About The Voting Rights Of People With Criminal Records" was posted on the front page of the orginizations website.

The article states that this confusion has the potential to"endanger the voting rights of hundreds of thousands of eligible voters nationally in a presidential election year." Convicted criminals' rights vary from state to state depending on more than one factor. However a central factor that is considered in determining convicted criminals' rights are things such as the type of crime committed (midemeanor, felony, etc...).

There is some confusion about registration rules and rights for criminals, "For our democracy to function properly and effectively, everyone who has the right to vote should be given the chance to cast a ballot," said Erika Wood, Deputy Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center "It is unconscionable to allow a core constitutional value to be sacrificed because of misinformation."