Washblog

The new law will allow for every person in the state who is otherwise qualified to vote -- and is not "Under the authority of the Department of Corrections" --  to have the right to vote.  This means that the tens of thousands of people in Washington state who have exited the criminal justice system will be able to exercise their right of citizenship just like everyone else.

Till now, anyone who had served a sentence for a felony was denied the right to vote until he or she paid legal financial obligations.  These obligations, which accrue interest during incarceration, are often many thousands of dollars.  The law leaves the payment obligation intact.  In fact, it allows for the revocation of a person's right to vote if it is shown that he or she willfully fail to pay the obligation three times in a 12-month period.  The only thing that has changes is that the financial barrier to voting has been removed.

The new law also greatly simplifies procedures, eliminating the need for the state to administer an extremely complicated process and simplifying the process for the voter. Previously, many people who had paid their legal financial obligations still did not vote because the restoration process was so complicated. The bill had support of the Secretary of State and the state Auditor's office.