Decriminalizing Voting

We have narrowed down our focus to two components of this decriminalization: fines and fees and an intent statement. Removing the fines and fees prerequisite to voting would no longer condition the ability to participate in democracy on one’s ability to pay. The necessity to pay justice fees prior to voting functions as a poll tax and disproportionately affects low-income convicted felons, who are already having a difficult time finding stable employment. Eligibility to vote should not be contingent on economic status. Adding an intent statement to the voter prosecution statute would mandate prosecutors to prove that one had prior knowledge of the law and intended to vote. Without this addition, it is very easy to prosecute someone for voting, even though they might not have known about the barriers that exist.