Okay, I’m going to start. If the United States’ president is a felon and can run the country, a felon should also be allowed the right to vote. This is a massive double standard. If the president our our country who has 34 felony convictions, holds the code to nuclear weapons and runs the entire nation, it makes no logical sense to argue that ordinary citizens with felonies are “too dangerous” to simply cast a ballot, now I know that one vote matters equally as much, but denying them the right to vote while allowing them to hold a presidency is a massive double standard. Felons who have served their time, go back to work and pay income taxes, sale taxes and property taxes. Democracy is built on the rule that “if you pay taxes you get a say in how that money is spent” and taking their vote away while taking their taxes is just simply violating basic American principles. Onto my next argument voting actually reduces crime (rehabilitation). Studies show that when a former felon is allowed to vote, they feel more like a part of society and feeling like a valued citizen makes them less likely to commit a crime again. Restoring voting rights actually makes communities safer and saves taxpayers money on prisons

You just agreed with my entire premise when you stated that restoring voting rights after full completion of a sentence 'makes sense.' By admitting that a citizen's franchise should be restored, you have conceded the debate: felons should have the right to vote. Let's address your point about the social contract during the sentence itself. If the goal is truly reintegration and creating productive citizens, we cannot artificially disconnect people from the society we expect them to rejoin. When we completely strip the right to vote from incarcerated individuals or those on parole, we break the social contract from our end first. We demand they respect the laws of a community while denying them any peaceful, democratic voice within it. Furthermore, those on parole or probation live in our neighborhoods, work regular jobs, and pay sales and income taxes. Denying them a ballot during this transition is the definition of taxation without representation. If our current system allows an individual with felony convictions to run for and hold the highest office in the land—the Presidency—it is completely illogical to argue that a citizen on parole isn't trusted enough to cast a single ballot. I accept your concession that restoring voting rights makes sense; let's stop delaying that restoration and strengthen our democracy today.

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