The nation is missing millions of voters due to lack of rights for former felons

At least 20 million Americans have served time. Most of them can’t or don’t vote, and that may distort some election outcomes, a political scientist argues.

By: Kevin B. Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 2, 2026

Words: 1,004

Last Updated: 1 week, 2 days ago

Body Text Preview

By Kevin B. Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

If you gathered every American with a prison record into one contiguous territory and admitted it to the union, you would create the 12th-largest state. It would be home to at least 7 million to 8 million people and hold a dozen votes in the Electoral College.

In a close presidential race, this hypothetical state of the formerly incarcerated could decide who wins the White House.

…

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us