Individuals convicted of a felony should not lose their right to vote. The right to vote is a birthright for citizens born in this country. This right is taken for granted by many and is exercised by far too few. As the United States prepares for its 57th presidential election, more than five million citizens will be denied the right to participate in the electoral process. Why would so many people be denied a constitutional right? They were disenfranchised because they were convicted of a crime. A felony is generally considered any crime that can result in more than a year in prison. But states can often have divergent views on what is considered a crime or misdemeanor. Such an important right should not be subject to the whims of state legislatures. Laws that prohibit felons from voting are a punishment greater than that meted out by the justice system. There is no uniformity in the laws barring convicted felons from voting. Laws vary greatly from state to state. Nearly every state prevents incarcerated felons from voting. The only exceptions are Maine and Vermont. While some states restore voting rights once a person is released from prison; more than thirty continue to deprive these individuals of their rights. Thirty-one states prohibit people on probation for felony offenses from voting. Thirty-six states prohibit people on felony parole from voting in elections. Many of these states will restore voting rights to convicted felons once probation and/or parole is completed. But some of our fellow citizens will see their right to vote permanently withdrawn. The nation as a whole should be concerned middle of paper ......ple University Press. Jones, Ashby (2010). Should felons lose the right to vote? Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/03/22/should-felons-lose-the-right-to-vote/.Karlan, Pamela (2004). “Convictions and Doubts: Retribution, Representation, and the Felon Disenfranchisement Debate,” Stanford Law Review, vol. 56, No. 5, Krajick, Kevin (2004). The Washington Post. Why can't ex-felons vote? Lewis, Gregory (2004). Study criticizes voting laws for felons, Democrats and hurting Black people, analysis finds. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. New York Times Editorial Board (2004). Criminals and the right to vote. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/11/opinion/felons-and-the-right-to-Shakir, Faiz (2012). On MLK Day, Santorum criticizes Romney for undermining voting rights. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/01/16/404903/on-mlk-day-