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Ex-Offenders Can Vote In Michigan

election sign
Reginald Hardwick
/
WKAR-MSU

A prison reform advocacy group says formerly incarcerated people do have the right to vote in Michigan.

Allan Wachendorfer is with the prison reform advocacy group Nation Outside. He said there's a lot of confusion about the issue.

"We have the ability to vote, once you are done serving your time from incarceration you can re-register and your rights are restored automatically," said Wachendorfer. "In fact people who are in jail who have not been sentenced yet they also can vote absentee."

Some states permanently revoke a former felon's right to vote, and in many others, a judge or the governor has to restore the voting rights. 

Wachendorfer said society is better off when it allows formerly incarcerated people to fully rejoin civic life.

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