Michigan: Officials' Misunderstanding Leads to Misinformed, Nonvoting Citizens' Formerly incarcerated citizens often return to their communities "with the intention of addressing a system that unjustly led to their incarceration," according to a Detroit advocacy group, Helping Our Prisoners Elevate (H.O.P.E.). "Most people that go to prison gain a greater awareness," H.O.P.E.'s Kwasi Akwamu was quoted as saying in a recent Michigan Citizen article. "We encourage ex-prisoners to vote - to become part of that process and change those harsh policies." Although individuals who have served prison time regain their rights upon release, many are unaware of reenfranchisement laws in Michigan, and nationwide. In the article, The Sentencing Project's Executive Director Marc Mauer cites a 10-state survey in which 31% of local election officials misunderstood voting laws, thus misinforming formerly incarcerated individuals. "It's the lack of information," stated Mauer. "There's no systematic means by which they are informed of their right to vote." Tennessee: Lawsuit Aims to Strike Down "Poll Tax," Restore Rights A lawsuit brought by the Atlanta-based ACLU Voting Rights Project challenges the constitutionality of the state's law, which does not automatically restore rights after individuals complete their sentence. Furthermore, citizens charged with felony offenses are banned from voting if they owe child support or court-ordered restitution. Preliminary motions will be heard in Nashville later this month. One of the 90,000 citizens barred from voting in Tennessee is 20-year-old Louis Horton, who received three months in prison and two years of probation for burglary. After serving his time, Horton attempted to have his rights restored, but was denied because he owed about $4,000 in court-ordered restitution. "I been saying every vote counts," said Horton. "Now, I don't know that I would vote for Obama strictly because he's a black man. I like what he has to say. The only thing I can say for sure is this is a year where it would be nice to stick my vote in there, too." According to the Tennessean, Horton, who is one of three men named in the suit, is one of thousands of African Americans who are disproportionately arrested, charged and convicted of crimes, which are pushing to regain the right to vote. Between January 1 and June 24 of this year, 469 former felons requested and received a restoration of their voting rights. Others affected by the law include Alex Friedmann, who wasn't immediately interested in his voting rights after completing his sentence, but believed his vote should be counted. "When you get out, your priorities are to find a place to live, earn an income, and if you are like most people, get your personal life in order ... repair relationships with your family," said Friedmann, who is associate editor of Prison Legal News. "Voting rights generally don't figure in until you have reached a certain point of stability." For more coverage, read a blog post from Knoxville's WBIR.com. National: "Illogical System" in Florida in Need of "Complete Overhaul" A New York Times editorial advocating for automatic restoration in Florida, states that "the United States is uniquely unforgiving" in its disenfranchisement laws. Despite the state's disenfranchisement reform last year, the New York Times argues that restoring rights only to citizens convicted of nonviolent offenses is "short of what's needed," and suggests a "complete overhaul of a wildly illogical system." It also states that the extensive background checks are unnecessary and time consuming for a short-staffed Parole Commission. The editorial further states: "Quite apart from the fact that it is undemocratic to bar people from the voting booth because they owe money, the system is transparently counterproductive since it prevents people from landing the jobs they will need to make restitution. Denying ex-offenders a chance to make an honest living is a sure way to drive them back to jail." - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information -- e-mail: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org