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McKenna: Stop Supporting Racist Felony Voting Bans
  1. Signatures
    182 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. Washington State Attorney General (Rob McKenna)
  2. Created By
    Anna D Hirsch
    Oakland, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter

The United States is unique among democratic nations in enforcing voting bans on felons. There is little question that felony voting bans have long been in place in our country in order to enforce the disenfranchisement of communities of color.

Even if it is no longer the intention of lawmakers and politicians to discriminate, institutional policies and practices that have a proven track record of reifying racism in our legal system must be rooted out and replaced with better, more equitable alternatives.

In the now pivatol case, Farrakhan v. Gregoire, that recently won a victory in the fight to end unfair and unjust felony voting bans, Washington AG, Rob McKenna has fought hard to keep his state's ban in place.

It's time to tell McKenna that this is not right for the citizens of Washington or for the rest of America.

 

Recent Signatures

McKenna: Stop Supporting Racist Felony Voting Bans

Greetings,

I am writing to you today because I need you to know that I disagree with your support of Washington's felony voting ban. When you deny discrimination in our legal system and its further ramifications in the electoral process via felony voting bans, you hurt not only people of color but all Americans. Your support of racist felony voting bans contributes to a diminished public confidence in our government. This is not only bad for you, as a politician; it is bad for our democracy.

I also need you to know that there is plenty of evidence that felony voting bans do indeed support institutional racism. Given a simple search, it is easy to find considerable scholarly and statistical documentation of the very real and critical racial injustices that are harbored in laws like your state's felony voting ban. Even if it is no longer the intention of lawmakers and politicians to discriminate, institutional policies and practices that have a proven track record of reifying racism in our legal system must be rooted out and replaced with better, more equitable alternatives.

Mr. McKenna, it's time to stop supporting racist felony voting bans. Disenfranchising some Americans more than others is not right for the citizens of Washington or for the rest of America.

Mr. McKenna, with respect, it is time to do the right thing for your state and for our country.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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