Reversal of Voting Rights Restoration Law
Sponsor: Rep. Armstrong
Some lawmakers are pushing a bill that would reverse the landmark voting rights restoration bill adopted in the 2009 session. That measure restores the franchise to individuals who have completed probation and parole without requiring them to have paid off all their Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs – legal system debts). It passed with bipartisan backing and support from leading law enforcement officials, who recognized that regaining voting rights helps individuals to rejoin the community – and thereby reduces recidivism.
This session’s legislation would once again require full payment of those coming out of the criminal justice system before voting rights are restored. By tying voting rights to one’s financial means, the measure would reinstitute Washington’s modern version of the poll tax.
