There are several reasons why a person might not be able to vote. Perhaps you’re a convicted felon and cannot vote because of that, or maybe you’re under the voting age and cannot vote because of that.
Whatever your reason is, not being able to vote can be frustrating. These restrictions may make you feel as if you are being pushed out of the democratic process.
However, there are still ways for you to have your voice heard…even if you’re a convicted felon who can’t vote. Read on to learn more about voting as a convicted felon and how you can make your voice heard without casting a ballot.
Voting is one of the most important rights as an American citizen, so much so that the Constitution has an amendment just for it (the 26th).
So, even though being a convicted felon makes it more difficult for you to cast a ballot, that doesn’t mean that your voice can’t be heard in other ways.
Join a civic organization
If you’re a convicted felon, you may not have the right to vote. And that can make you feel less like a citizen of your country and more like a second-class person.
Joining a civic organization can help give you a sense of belonging and help you regain a feeling of importance. There are many civic organizations that are looking for people like you to join.
For example, if you’re interested in environmental issues, you could look for a local chapter of an environmental nonprofit and ask if you can volunteer.
If you’re interested in immigration issues, you could look for an organization that focuses on civic education or immigration issues and see if they need any volunteers.
Write to your Representatives
If you’re a convicted felon, you may not be able to vote. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a say in government. You can still write to your representatives and make your voice heard that way.
There are two government bodies that you can write to: The executive branch and the legislative branch. You can write to the executive branch (for example, the President or your governor) to make suggestions or offer recommendations for laws or policies that need to be changed.
You can also write to the legislative branch (for example, your state senator or congressman) to express your support for or opposition to proposed laws.
Organize and mobilize
If you’re a convicted felon and want to get more involved in issues that are important to you, you can consider organizing or mobilizing around those issues.
You don’t need to be a citizen to do this. You can organize by getting a group of people together to talk about issues that matter to you.
You can discuss what each person knows about the issues and what each person thinks should be done about them. You can also mobilize to take action on the issues you care about.
For example, if you want to help protect the environment, you could organize a march or event to raise awareness about environmental issues.
Or if you want to help immigrants, you could call your representative’s office to ask your elected officials to pass laws that are fair and humane.
Talk to your friends and family
If you’re a convicted felon and cannot vote, you can still talk to your friends and family about the issues you care about.
You can use social media, text messages, emails, or any other form of communication to talk to your friends and family about the issues you care about.
You could also create a blog where you can talk about issues you care about. You can use your blog to talk to your friends and family, as well as anyone else who might be interested.
And if you want to be more formal and publish your blog under your name, you can create a website and publish your blog there.
Write to your representatives
If you’re a convicted felon who cannot vote, you may feel as though you have no say in government. But that’s not true. You can still write to your representatives and make your voice heard that way.
There are two government bodies that you can write to: The executive branch and the legislative branch. You can write to the executive branch (for example, the President or your governor) to make suggestions or offer recommendations for laws or policies that need to be changed.
You can also write to the legislative branch (for example, your state senator or congressman) to express your support for or opposition to proposed laws.
Conclusion
Being a convicted felon may mean you cannot vote in an election. That doesn’t mean your voice can’t be heard. You can still do many things to make your voice heard without voting.
You can join a civic organization, write to your representatives, organize or mobilize around issues, talk to your friends and family, or write to your representatives.
These actions can help you regain a feeling of importance and help you feel like you are part of the democratic process.
