AB 353

Under current law, when a person is barred from voting as the result of a felony

conviction (a "disqualifying offense"), the person's right to vote may be restored

through a pardon. Otherwise, it is restored upon completion of the sentence,

including extended supervision or parole, or completion of the term of probation

imposed on the person who committed the offense.

Under this bill, a person loses his or her right to vote based on a disqualifying

offense only while he or she is incarcerated for that offense. A person released to

extended supervision or parole may resume voting. In addition, a person convicted

of a disqualifying offense and on probation retains the right to vote while on

probation unless he or she is confined as a condition of probation. But if a person who

committed a disqualifying offense is returned to prison after the revocation of

extended supervision or parole or is sent to prison or a jail or house of correction after

the revocation of probation, the person loses the right to vote until he or she is

released.

Currently, an applicant for voter registration must affirm 1) whether he or she

has been convicted of a felony for which he or she has not been pardoned and, if so,

whether the applicant is incarcerated or on parole, probation, or extended

supervision; and 2) whether the applicant is disqualified on any other ground from

voting.

This bill deletes the requirement that an applicant provide any information

relating to a felony conviction but retains the requirement that an applicant affirm

that he or she is not disqualified on any ground from voting.

This bill also requires the Department of Corrections (DOC), the Government

Accountability Board, and the Director of State Courts to include in their ongoing

training programs a discussion of the changes in law produced by this bill and to offer

the training to judges, attorneys, election officials, employees of DOC, and the public.