In the United States, when someone commits of a felony, they lose many of their rights. States differ slightly on what exactly felons lose post-conviction, but typically it includes the loss of voting rights, firearm ownership, and jury service. There are several different variations on what happens after a felony conviction, depending on the state. Four states, Iowa, Florida, Virginia, and Kentucky have permanent disenfranchisement for everyone convicted of a felony, unless the government approves a restoration of rights to an individual, typically through a pardon.
In other states, it depends on the type of felony committed. In Arizona, people convicted of two or more felonies are permanently barred from voting. With only one felony conviction, voting rights are restored after completion of sentence. In Mississippi, there are ten types of felonies which incur a permanent loss of voting rights. There are several other states, including Wyoming, Nevada, Delaware, and Tennessee, that all have different regulations and restrictions based on either the type of felony, or amount of felony convictions.
In 19 states, voting rights are automatically restored once the sentence is completed. This includes prison, parole, and probation. In five states, voting rights are automatically restored after prison and parole are completed, those who are on probation can vote.
12 states and the District of Columbia automatically restore voting rights at the time of release from prison. Felons may vote unless they are actually incarcerated, once released, their voting right is automatically reinstated. Lastly, there are two states, Maine and Vermont that do not disenfranchise those with criminal convictions.
