Ohio Felons on Parole to be Informed of their Right to Vote
/- Agreement Resolves Suit Against Elections Officials -
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
has agreed to provide written notice to felons currently on parole in
Ohio, advising them of their eligibility to register to vote in the
November 2, 2004 election, and that they must register by October 4,
2004 in order to vote this fall. ODRC's agreement to notify parolees of
their voting rights resolves a class action suit filed by the Prison
Reform Advocacy Center (PRAC) on behalf of C.U.R.E.- Ohio and Racial
Fairness Project against the Ohio Secretary of State and 21 boards of
elections that erroneously advised felons that they could not vote
until finished with parole. Ohio law gives people with felony
convictions the right to vote once released from incarceration,
regardless of whether they are on parole, probation, or any other form
of community supervision. A study released by PRAC on August 3, 2004,
(available [here 
])
found that Ohio elections officials' knowledge of this law varies
widely by region. Specifically, the study found that 21 boards of
elections, including Hamilton County, tell eligible voters that they
cannot vote while on probation or parole. After releasing the report,
PRAC filed suit seeking an order requiring the State to provide notice
of voting rights to released felons statewide. [more ] and [more ]
