The Cost Of Restoring Voting Rights To Former Felons

When Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison on felony charges, he lost more than his freedom, he lost his right to vote. In fact, millions of United States citizens are being forced to pay for their right to vote. As of 2016, at least 6.1 million Americans who are former felons were banned from voting.
Today, 48 states have some form of barrier to felon voter participation, with at least 30 states having laws that require former felons to pay before they can vote. Only two states, Maine and Vermont, and most recently Washington, D.C., do not strip felons of their voting rights, and even allow them to vote whileserving their sentence.
Felony disenfranchisement has a deep-rooted, political history in the U.S. but was intensified by Richard Nixon’s war on drugs in the ‘70s. Felony disenfranchisement rates skyrocketed from roughly 1.2 million in 1976 to 6.1 million in 2016. In the U.S., someone is arrested for drug possession every 25 seconds, and nearly 80% of people in federal prison for drug offenses are Black or Hispanic.
CORRECTION (October 21, 2020): An earlier version of this video incorrectly implied President Trump appointed members to Florida’s Supreme Court rather than the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: cnb.cx/2kxl2rf
About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money.
Connect with CNBC Make It. Online
Get the latest updates: www.cnbc.com/m...
Find CNBC Make It. on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNB...
Find CNBC Make It. on Twitter: cnb.cx/FollowC...
Find CNBC Make It. on Instagram: bit.ly/Instagr...
#CNBC
#CNBCMakeIt
Why Some Americans Are Paying $350K To Vote

[@OneNewHope]

I don't agree with Maine and Vermont letting inmates vote while still in prison. Incarceration is a suspension of your rights. However, it's better than this felon poll tax. Once released from prison, you deserve the right to vote, period.

[@CharlieFlask]

If you have poor decision making skills and it makes you a felon, how can you be trustworthy to make a proper decision at the ballot box.. maybe,, maybe not..

[@03MARA01]

This give me hope for America. Once they have paid their debt, you let them live their lives, you do not endless punish them, otherwise the punishment becomes meaningless.

[@makemoneynow5061]

Your videos are splendid! Thank you for giving me a new perspective to contemplate!

[@william_8844]

Wow America. You would think voting is a human right

[@montewalker]

Go tell North Korea that 😏

[@andreilyas1426]

@@montewalker but we are not North Korea or are we striving to be ?

[@Not-Sorry2011]

I don't even care if I ever get my right to vote back. I'd like equal opportunity.

[@teambennett-wells962]

I still cant beileve this man got arrested, did time and had a felony on his record and all this for a dog fighting ring?!?! Ok i get it, its a crime but 23 months in prison and all this fines and voters right and all this is out of control!!!

[@edrdavenport78]

what he did was beyond disgusting but he did his time and shouldn’t have lost his vote to begin with.

[@crappyaccount]

nah he deserves all the time and fees for being a pos

[@1.5Koreans0.5American]

That’s a lot of money to vote

[@breerandom9192]

I wonder what the money is used for once the fees are paid? Humm?

[@cuzheavy4079]

The governments pension

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

The first time I heard about this issue is Eliot on a show called Just Shoot Me. I guess it’s a real issue.

[@andreilyas1426]

What evidence do you have to think it's not ?

[@VashtiPerry]

That is the first time I have seen Johnson City, TN on a random map

[@gmanon1181]

Drug abuse is a consumer problem more than a crime problem. If the government really wanted to end it, it could have simply defund it. Hold every assets from drugs consumers and the business will go away. Who would work for free?

[@ceal4046]

shouldn't this depend on the nature of the crime? Like certain very serious crimes(e.g. child molestation, murder etc) do not deserve to vote, but if you served a sentence for a non violent crime, then you get your voting rights back?

[@earthmotherr5230]

... Did you watch the video? 🤔🤨

[@therealdavidleong]

Changing the title and thumbnail was probably the smart move here.

[@john47266]

It didn’t effectively institute a poll tax. It made them pay all of their debt for their crime lmao

[@majoroldladyakamom6948]

There is a thing in any Country... called THE LAWS? You make unwise decisions? Did the crime. Do the time. Pay your restitution while we feed, clothe you, costs of incarceration to tax payers (aka, we are footing your bill all the while, your showers, your toothpaste, your toilet paper and paper towels, your shampoo and/or laundry soap, then whine about paying the portion of just the Court fees?? Average DAILY cost to keep a Felon in prison - PER DAY? $99.45 way back in 2017. Google it. In one year, 3 years ago, that's: $39,299.25. Per year. Times 5 years? $181,496.25. 10 years? Just under $400,000. Talk about paying re$titution? Pay us taxpayers back for your food, clothing and shelter, do the time, pay the fines. ALL OF THEM. You owe a debt to the rest of us who choose to obey the Laws of The Land, no matter what your Country of choice is. No apologies made. SORRY-NOT-SORRY. TOO BAD, SO SAD. Period.

[@ScrubGigs-ph1sk]

Spoken like a "good Christian".

[@yvettenziffa7556]

Amen 🙏🏾

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

I feel like real issues get posted to CNBC while sensationalism gets posted here.

[@andreilyas1426]

why do you think this is sensationalism ?

[@teambennett-wells962]

I love CNBC Make It videos but they are kinda skewing the info a little. They dont pay fees to vote they are paying restitution and child support. And I agree the system is flawed but at the same time restitution for victims and paying to care for your child is not a horrible thing. I know the idea and the practice or reality are two different things.

[@asmarmd]

The law applies to all colors. Only racist people find a racial argument.

[@andreilyas1426]

Trump lost

[@Clyde]

Quick question guys.. If traffic police stops your Tesla while it's on driverless mode.. Who gets the ticket? The car or the owner... And would you buy your girlfriend a tesla before you buy it for yourself? kzbin.info/www/bejne/ram0c4ybeKh8q7s

[@NiceTryAmigo]

'Merica..

[@FriaGram]

It is your choice to become a felon. Voting in a privilage.

[@g0blin479]

Don’t commit felonies and guess what you can vote there’s no tragedy here don’t break the law simple

[@shaneviola8848]

not all laws are just, like laws against prostitution or drugs. the government lost the war on drugs and pursued people for crimes with no victims

[@amathisporter]

The video flat out informed the viewer of the craziest ways you could be charged with a felony in Florida & you still posted this. Shows you just commented to be an annoyance.

[@earlmartin1030]

Most states still allow you to vote if you've been convicted of a felony. My state Ohio allows a convicted felon to vote after their released from supervision or parole.

[@CassidyStarke]

@@earlmartin1030 Most or some? Cause “most” ex fellons aren’t able to vote, so your facts dominated make sense.

[@earlmartin1030]

@@CassidyStarke all states but about 3 allow felons to vote once the felons are released from supervision. The States of Maine and Vermont allow felons in prison to even vote. Trust me I know. If you check the facts you will see what I'm talking about. Thank you.

[@MegaMijit]

we should get paid to vote! youre taking the time to be a proactive member of society. this would reward people who never lost their right to vote. you risk being assigned court duty, so there needs to be some incentive. otherwise, i will never vote. tbh i probably wont waste my time voting even if they did pay.

[@acapela2127]

No voting is your duty and u should not get paid also voting doesn't only help the politicians it helps u too(if done right)

[@MegaMijit]

@@acapela2127 a common misconception. our votes LITERALLY do NOT matter.. for example, hillary clinton won the popular vote yet trump was still elected..

[@revl6151]

@@MegaMijit you mean votes only matter in swing states

[@MegaMijit]

@@revl6151 not even then lol

[@sarahdell4042]

Don’t commit a felony? Pretty simple stuff.

[@luismata6904]

Don't have a racist system..... on a racist system you are either a worker or a felon

[@amathisporter]

The video flat out informed the viewer of the craziest ways you could be charged with a felony in Florida & you still posted this. Shows you just commented to be an annoyance.

[@andreilyas1426]

Trump lost

[@mitkoarnaudov8260]

Criminals should NEVER have the right to vote !

[@colombiantom]

Please elaborate, why not?

[@sociologyphysics7293]

Criminals aren't just murderers and rapists there are criminals who have committed victimless crimes like drug offences etc. Why do you believe that they shouldn't be a part of democracy? I

[@mitkoarnaudov8260]

@@sociologyphysics7293 Even if you harm only yourself, you are in no position to make decisions for others .

[@sociologyphysics7293]

@@mitkoarnaudov8260 Umm so should people eating fast food also stop voting should people drinking alcohol and cigarettes also not vote that is such a stupid thing to say.

[@bloodwargaming3662]

@@sociologyphysics7293 bro he is the most dumb person I have ever seen .

[@mikebrennan7045]

This wasn't an issue until the democrats lost all support. Also you can let them vote all you want most won't and the electoral college still has the final say.

[@Alduinsshadow148]

ELECTORAL COLLEGE, This Doesn’t matter.

[@andreilyas1426]

Well it does

[@Quinntus79]

There are more than just presidential elections. State and local elections are arguably more important than federal elections because you are more likely to be impacted by local laws and ordinances. City elections are also about as close to true democracy as you are going to get.

[@kingcarlos4348]

Boooo hoooo 😢

[@andreilyas1426]

Trump lost

[@c.l.6523]

We always need cheap labor :) Thank you felons.

[@andreilyas1426]

Trump lost