A bill that would let people convicted of a felony retain their voting rights is making it’s way to the floor of the New Mexico House of Representatives.
House Bill 57, introduced by Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Bernalillo County, would remove felony convictions as a reason for county clerks to remove a registered voter from the voting rolls.
Currently, convicted felons must complete their sentence, including incarceration and any parole or probation before their voting rights can be restored.
A Fiscal Impact Report states the bill might decrease Secretary of State personnel time if the office was no longer required to maintain a list of convicted felons, along with removing them and reinstating them.
Another issue was raised by the New Mexico Attorney General. While the bill clarifies that convicted felons would not be disenfranchised in the future, it doesn’t address the thousands of New Mexicans previously convicted of a felony who are still completing their sentences.
If it becomes law, New Mexico will be one of only three states that does not disenfranchise people convicted of a felony.
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