We the people hereby petition the United States Government to reconsider the rights of the American Prisoners with U.S. citizenship, to regain their rights as citizens, to vote. We, further request that there be national consistency regarding these rights, to all prisoners, former and currently incarcerated.

WHEREAS There are over 6 million citizens who are adversely affected by the current disenfranchisement policies in this country.

WHEREAS Voting is a fundamental right for all citizens, including those who are or were incarcerated. This petition to restore this fundamental right is for the purpose of removing all barriers to voting faced by people with felony convictions so they may freely participate in the democratic process. To achieve this goal, political parties and practices, along with perceptions concerning felony disenfranchisement at the local, state and national level must change.

WHEREAS The right to vote is an important civil right in a democracy as well as a civic responsibility, and yet many persons who have been convicted of a crime do not know whether they are eligible to vote. For both federal and state elections, the right to vote is controlled by the law of the state in which people live. Some states restrict the right to vote for persons who have been convicted of a crime.

WHEREAS Democracy means, literally, government by the people. A system of government is called 'democratic' if the people have a direct say in how they are governed. Representative democracy is a particular type of democracy in which the people authorize others to govern on their behalf, through a voting process of some kind. Elections are crucial in a system of representative democracy.

WHEREAS The VOTE is an emblem of our equality, the guarantee of our liberty. As long as it was in coming for most of us, the right to vote was so obviously right, necessary and inevitable, that we have forgotten the sacrifices it took to win. By exercising the right to vote, the people pay homage to the brave individuals who paid the ultimate price to win the vote for the people.

WHEREAS Voting magnifies the voice of the individual citizen in government and politics. Many countries have disenfranchisement of sentenced prisoners. In the USA voting privileges are denied to prisoners by some states, however several others (Canada and most of the countries of the European Union) allow prisoners to vote, regardless of time served or nature of the crime. Some countries (and U.S. states) also deny the right to vote to those convicted of crimes, even after they are released from prison.

WHEREAS Every citizen of these United States has the right to vote. This includes those who are incarcerated and those who have been incarcerated.

THEREFORE we the people request that the right to vote be restored to all citizens of the USA regardless of race, color, creed, gender, religion, or status in society.