As of right now, Iowa and Kentucky are the only two states in the United States that still deny voting rights to individuals convicted of a felony. During his inaugural speech, the new Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear pledged to sign an executive order that will restore voting rights to over 100,000 deserving Kentuckians.
About 312,000 Kentuckians are currently deprived of voting rights due to felony convictions. This executive order will allow a significant portion of these disenfranchised citizens to participate in our nation’s democracy. Beshear discussed his faith in his inaugural speech, implying that it is his God-given duty to treat these deserving citizens this way: “My faith teaches me to treat others with dignity and respect. My faith also teaches forgiveness.”
Beshear believes that convicted felons should not continue to bear the burdens of a past mistake for the remainder of their lives. Given that the governor is the only person with the authority to restore the right to vote to disenfranchised citizens, Gov. Andy Beshear is already off to a great start in fulfilling his duty of treating the people of Kentucky with dignity and respect. Needless to say, the state has taken a leap in the right direction.
