Editorial: A felony conviction should not come with a life sentence on voting rights

Voting is not a privilege. It’s a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. But one group of citizens has been long denied that right in parts of the country.

In half the states, including California, people convicted of felonies who have served their time in prison re-enter their communities with the right to vote automatically and immediately restored. In Vermont, Maine and the District of Columbia, people retain their right to vote even when incarcerated.

But the