01/23/2023
SB 579 VOTE:NO
In CommitteePublic Hearing01/26/2023 1:00pm HR D
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB579
Committee assigned to bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Committees/SJUD/Overview
This bill allows convicted felons, while in prison, to be able to register and vote while incarcerated.
A person who has been lawfully convicted of a felony has forfeited
their right to vote according to the Oregon Constitution, Article 2 Section 3, passed in 1944. Voters added “unless otherwise provided by law,” however, voters didn’t really have a choice.
The proposal to prohibit felons from voting was lumped with those incompetent to vote. The majority of felons are in prison due to a lack of competency and no civil responsibility or respect.
Prison is a time of rehabilitation, to gain and learn what civil responsibility means.
The bill also allows registration at the last address lived at, which can cause multiple unrelated people registered at one address and interfere with voter roll cleanup efforts.
In many states felons are not able to vote even after being
released from prison. This is an issue for voters, not for a committee that is biased because they proposed the bill.
Submit committee testimony https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Testimony/SJUD