Felon Voting Rights by State (2026)
How each state handles voting with a felony conviction, from each state's code and official agencies.
| State | Voting with a felony conviction |
|---|---|
| Alabama | In Alabama a felony conviction takes away the right to vote only if it is a felony 'involving moral turpitude', and the Felony Voter Disqualification Act gives the full list of those offenses (for example capital murder, murder, manslaughter, first- and second-degree assault, kidnapping, rape, sodomy, human trafficking, terrorism and treason). A conviction for a felony not on the list does not disqualify a voter. A person who lost the right to vote can apply to the Board of Pardons and Paroles for a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote once released after completing the sentence, pardoned, or released from probation or parole, with no felony charges pending and all fines, court costs, fees and restitution ordered at sentencing paid. Ala. Code 1975 §§ 17-3-30.1(b)-(c), 15-22-36.1(a) |
| Alaska | In Alaska, a person convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude under state or federal law may not vote in a state, federal or municipal election from the date of the conviction through the date of the person's unconditional discharge, meaning release from all disability arising under the sentence, including probation and parole. On unconditional discharge the person may register to vote again; no waiting period or separate application is required beyond registering. 'Felony involving moral turpitude' is defined broadly to include crimes such as murder, assault, sexual assault, robbery, burglary, theft, forgery, arson, criminal mischief and misconduct involving a controlled substance. AS 15.05.030; AS 15.80.010(10); AS 12.55.185 (unconditional discharge); AS 33.30.241(a) |
| Arizona | In Arizona a felony conviction suspends the right to vote (along with the rights to hold public office, serve on a jury and possess a firearm). A person with only one felony conviction gets voting and other civil rights back automatically when probation is completed or on absolute discharge from prison, as long as all victim restitution has been paid. A person with two or more felony convictions, or who still owes restitution, can apply to the superior court after completing probation or receiving an absolute discharge, and the judge decides whether to restore the rights. A.R.S. §§ 13-904(A), 13-907(A), 13-908(A), (G) |
| Arkansas | In Arkansas a felony conviction takes away the right to vote. The Pulaski County Clerk, which runs voter registration, explains that voting rights can be restored under Amendment 51 § 11(d)(2) once the person has been discharged from probation or parole, has paid all probation or parole fees, has satisfied all terms of imprisonment, and has paid all applicable court costs, fines or restitution, or has had the record sealed. The person must get proof from the appropriate state or local agencies, submit it to the voter registration department of the county clerk where they live, and complete a voter registration application. Ark. Const. amend. 51, § 11(d)(2)(A)-(D) (as cited by the Pulaski County Circuit and County Clerk, Restoration of Voting Rights flyer) |
| California | In California, a person cannot register or vote only while serving a state or federal prison term for a felony (including a state prison sentence served in a local jail under a CDCR contract, or while awaiting transfer to prison after a felony conviction). People on parole, probation or post-release community supervision, people serving a felony jail sentence or jail as a condition of probation, and anyone with a misdemeanor can register and vote. Once the prison term is finished the right to vote is restored, but the person must register or re-register. California Secretary of State, Voting Rights Restored page and 'Persons with a Prior Felony Conviction' flyer |
| Colorado | In Colorado a person cannot register or vote only while serving a sentence of detention or confinement in a correctional facility, jail or other location for a felony conviction. People on parole are eligible to register and vote, as are people on probation and people jailed while awaiting trial or not serving a felony sentence; a confined prisoner who is not serving a felony sentence may register and list the facility as a ballot address. C.R.S. § 1-2-103(1), (4) |
| Connecticut | People with felony convictions lose the right to vote only while they are confined in a prison or correctional facility (not a community residence). Voting rights come back automatically on release from confinement, so people on parole or probation can vote: the Department of Correction gives the person a document certifying release; a person who returns to the same town is restored, while someone who moved or was never registered is admitted on proof of qualifications. Exception: a person convicted of a felony under the election laws (Title 9) does not regain the right until discharged from parole or probation for that felony. Returning to prison from parole or similar release causes the right to be lost again. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 9-46, 9-46a |
| Delaware | People convicted of a felony cannot vote while serving the sentence, which in Delaware includes prison and all parole, probation, work release and community supervision. For most felonies the right is restored once the whole sentence is fully discharged (or on a pardon, whichever comes first); the person then registers, and the Department of Elections checks court and Department of Correction records. Under the state constitution, this restoration does not apply to people convicted of murder or manslaughter (except vehicular homicide), a felony offense against public administration involving bribery or improper influence, or a felony sexual offense; state law calls these 'disqualifying felonies.' Del. Const. art. V, § 2; 15 Del. C. §§ 6102-6104 |
| District of Columbia | People with felony convictions can vote in the District of Columbia, including while incarcerated. The definition of a qualified elector contains no felony or incarceration exclusion (its former felony provision, subparagraph (D), is repealed), and the election law provides vote centers inside Department of Corrections facilities for registered voters in DOC custody. A person does not gain or lose D.C. residence while kept at an institution at public expense. D.C. Code § 1-1001.02(2), (16)(E), (37); D.C. Law 23-277 |
| Florida | People convicted of a felony lose the right to vote until they complete all terms of their sentence, including prison, probation, community control, parole or other supervision, and full payment of court-ordered restitution, fines and fees that were part of the sentence. Once all terms are completed, voting rights are restored automatically under the state constitution. Financial obligations count as completed if paid, terminated by the court with the payee's consent, or converted to and completed as community service. People convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense do not regain the right to vote unless the Clemency Board restores their civil rights. Fla. Const. art. VI, § 4; Fla. Stat. § 98.0751(1)-(2) |
| Georgia | A person convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude may not register, remain registered or vote except upon completion of the sentence. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles states that the right to vote is restored automatically on completion of the sentence, with no application, but the person must re-register with the county registrar. O.C.G.A. § 21-2-216(b); Ga. Const. art. II, § 1, ¶ III |
| Hawaii | A person sentenced for a felony loses the right to vote from sentencing until final discharge, but a person placed on probation, or paroled after imprisonment, may vote during the probation or parole. In practice, people lose the vote only while they are incarcerated for a felony, and it returns on release to parole, on probation, or on final discharge. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 831-2(a) |
| Idaho | People serving a felony sentence in the custody of the Idaho Board of Correction lose their civil rights, including the right to vote, while in prison. People on probation or parole may exercise only civil rights that are not political, so they cannot vote either. Voting rights come back automatically on 'final discharge', meaning satisfactory completion of imprisonment, probation and parole; the statute sets no extra waiting period or application. People with felony convictions from other states (except treason) may also register and vote in Idaho on final discharge. Idaho Code § 18-310(1), (2), (4) |
| Illinois | In Illinois, people lose the right to vote only while they are serving a sentence for a conviction in a federal or state prison or county jail, including while on work release, on furlough, or living in an Adult Transition Center. People on parole, mandatory supervised release, electronic monitoring or probation can vote, as can people in jail awaiting trial. Rights return automatically on release, but a person must register to vote again even if registered before the conviction. Illinois Department of Corrections, 'Know Your Rights: Voting with a Criminal Record' |
| Indiana | In Indiana a person cannot register or vote only while imprisoned after a conviction; people in jail awaiting trial can vote. People on probation, parole, home detention or in community corrections programs (such as work release or electronic monitoring) are eligible to register and vote. Registration is cancelled during imprisonment and is not automatically restored: once no longer imprisoned, the person may register again. Ind. Code §§ 3-7-13-4, 3-7-13-5, 3-7-13-6, 3-7-46-2, as stated in the Indiana Election Division's 2026 Indiana Voter Registration Guidebook |
| Iowa | Under Iowa law a person convicted of a felony is disqualified from registering and voting unless the governor (or the President for a federal felony) restores the person's rights. Under Governor's Executive Order 7 (August 5, 2020), voting rights are restored automatically, with no further action, once a person completes all confinement, parole, probation or other supervised release (including any special sentence) for all felony convictions. People convicted of a felony under Iowa's homicide chapter (chapter 707) are excluded and must apply to the governor after finishing probation or parole, and must have paid court costs, restitution and fines or be current on a payment plan. Misdemeanors and deferred judgments do not affect voting rights. Iowa Code § 48A.6(1); Governor's Executive Order 7 (2020) |
| Kansas | In Kansas, a person convicted of a felony in any state or federal court cannot register to vote or vote from the time of conviction until the person has completed the terms of the authorized sentence. Once the sentence is completed, eligibility returns automatically; the statute sets no extra waiting period or application. K.S.A. 21-6613 |
| Kentucky | A felony conviction takes away the right to vote in Kentucky until civil rights are restored by the Governor. Under Governor's Executive Order 2019-003 (December 12, 2019), the right to vote and to hold public office is restored automatically when a person with a Kentucky felony conviction fully completes (is discharged from) the sentence, probation or parole, even if restitution, fines or fees are unpaid. People convicted of treason, election bribery, violent offenses under KRS 439.3401, chapter 507/507A homicide offenses, certain assaults, first-degree strangulation, human trafficking, or any federal or out-of-state felony are not automatically restored and must apply to the Governor. Because restoration happens at final discharge, the order does not restore voting while a person is still on probation or parole. Executive Order 2019-003; Kentucky Civil Rights Restoration FAQ (Justice and Public Safety Cabinet / Department of Corrections) |
| Louisiana | A person under an order of imprisonment for a felony conviction may not register or vote. However, a person under such an order who has not been incarcerated under it within the last five years is not barred from registering or voting (so many people on probation or parole can vote), unless the felony was election fraud or another election offense. Once the person is no longer under an order of imprisonment, the right returns, but a suspended registration is reinstated only when the person goes to the registrar of voters' office with documentation from the appropriate corrections official showing that he or she is no longer under an order of imprisonment (or has not been incarcerated under it in the last five years). People convicted before the 1974 Constitution took effect who completed their sentences are not barred. La. Const. art. I, §10(A); La. R.S. 18:102(A)(1), (B), (C); R.S. 18:177(A) |
| Maine | People with felony convictions in Maine keep the right to vote, including while in prison. Maine's voter qualifications are U.S. citizenship, age 18, a voting residence in the municipality and registration, with no exclusion for a criminal conviction. A person incarcerated in a correctional facility may apply to register in any municipality where he or she previously had a fixed and principal home to which he or she intends to return; the prison town does not become the person's residence unless the person lived there before incarceration. 21-A M.R.S. §111; 21-A M.R.S. §112(14) |
| Maryland | In Maryland, a person convicted of a felony cannot register or vote only while currently serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment for that conviction. People on probation or parole, and people who have finished their prison term, may register and vote. The one lasting bar is for a conviction for buying or selling votes. Md. Code, Elec. Law §3-102(b)(1), (3) |
| Massachusetts | In Massachusetts, a person who is incarcerated in a correctional facility because of a felony conviction may not register or vote. People convicted of felonies who are on probation or parole, or who have been released, may register and vote. A person may also be disqualified by law for corrupt practices in elections. G.L. c. 51, §1 |
| Michigan | In Michigan, a person who has been convicted and sentenced to jail or prison may not vote while confined, whether the conviction was in a Michigan, other-state or federal court. People on probation or parole, and people who have been released, are not barred by this rule. MCL 168.758b |
| Minnesota | In Minnesota, a person convicted of a felony loses the right to vote only while incarcerated for the offense. The right to vote is restored during any period when the person is not incarcerated, including while on probation, parole or supervised release; if the person is later incarcerated for the offense, the right is lost again only during that incarceration. People on work release are not considered incarcerated for this purpose. Minn. Stat. §201.014, subds. 2, 2a |
| Mississippi | In Mississippi, only a conviction for a listed 'disenfranchising crime' takes away the right to vote, and the loss lasts unless rights are restored; the Secretary of State's materials describe no automatic restoration after prison, parole or probation. The Secretary of State's 2025 list is: arson, bribery, extortion, larceny, perjury, robbery, theft, carjacking, larceny under lease, armed robbery, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, statutory rape, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, bigamy, embezzlement, forgery, murder, rape and voter fraud. Section 23-15-11 bars anyone convicted of voter fraud or a disenfranchising crime from being a registered voter. Miss. Const. art. 12, § 241; Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-11; Mississippi Secretary of State, Disenfranchising Crimes (2025) |
| Missouri | People in Missouri cannot vote while confined under a sentence of imprisonment. Since August 28, 2026 (H.B. 1871), people on probation or parole are barred from voting only if their felony conviction is under chapter 566 (sexual offenses) or 573, or under one of the listed sections, including first- and second-degree murder (§§ 565.020, 565.021) and first- and second-degree assault (§§ 565.050, 565.052), until finally discharged; before that change, any felony probation or parole barred voting. Rights return without an application once the bar ends. A person convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage (election offenses) is barred from voting permanently. RSMo §§ 115.133.2 (as amended by 2026 H.B. 1871, eff. Aug. 28, 2026), 561.026 |
| Montana | In Montana, a person convicted of a felony cannot vote only while serving the sentence in a penal institution (prison or jail). People on probation or parole, and people who have been released, may vote. There is no waiting period or application in the statute; the person must be registered like any other voter. MCA § 13-1-111(2); Mont. Const. art. IV, § 2 |
| Nebraska | In Nebraska, a person convicted of a felony cannot vote or register until the sentence is completed, including any parole term; the disqualification is then removed automatically, with no waiting period or application. The current wording comes from LB 20 (Laws 2024). A conviction for treason bars voting unless civil rights are restored. Court clerks report felony convictions to election officials so the person's registration is removed. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 32-313(1)-(2), 29-112 (both as amended by Laws 2024, LB 20) |
| Nevada | In Nevada, a person convicted of a felony loses the right to vote only while in prison. The right to vote is restored immediately when the person is released from prison, or immediately when placed on probation, granted parole or pardoned. No application or waiting period is required; the person receives an official document stating the restoration, and can get a court order if the document is lost. NRS 213.157, 213.155 |
| New Hampshire | In New Hampshire, a person sentenced for a felony cannot vote only while incarcerated. The law treats release from incarceration as 'final discharge,' and people on probation or parole, or whose sentence is suspended, may vote; the correctional facility must give them written notice that they may vote. Voting rights return automatically on release, without an application or waiting period. RSA 607-A:2, I |
| New Jersey | People with felony-level (indictable) convictions lose the right to vote only while they are serving a sentence of incarceration. Once released, they may register and vote, including while on parole or probation. The law lists no waiting period or application. (A separate rule applies to people convicted of election-law crimes whose sentence took away the right to vote while incarcerated.) N.J.S. 19:4-1(6)-(8) (amended by P.L.2019, c.270) |
| New Mexico | People with felony convictions cannot vote while imprisoned in a correctional facility as part of a felony sentence. Since House Bill 4 (enacted March 30, 2023), they become eligible to vote immediately on release from prison, including while on parole or probation; before that law, they had to finish the whole sentence, including parole and probation. The Corrections Department says people leaving its prisons are registered to vote on release. House Bill 4 (2023 Regular Session), as described by the New Mexico Corrections Department |
| New York | A person convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison loses the right to register and vote only while incarcerated for that felony. People on parole, on probation, or with a suspended prison sentence can vote; the same rule applies to federal and out-of-state felony convictions. No application or waiting period is required after release. N.Y. Election Law 5-106(2)-(5) |
| North Carolina | People convicted of a felony cannot vote until they have completed their sentence, including prison, probation, post-release supervision and parole. Once the sentence and supervision end, the right to vote returns automatically, but the person must register again. Unpaid fines, fees or restitution do not by themselves block voting once supervision has ended. A misdemeanor conviction does not take away the right to vote, even while in jail. G.S. 163-55(a)(2); G.S. 13-1 |
| North Dakota | A person sentenced to prison for a felony cannot vote (or run for or hold public office) only during the period of actual incarceration. People on probation or parole, and people who have finished their sentence, keep the right to vote; the sentence itself must state that voting rights are lost only during actual incarceration. The same rule applies to federal and out-of-state convictions, and a person present in North Dakota who was sentenced elsewhere is presumed to have had these rights restored. No application or waiting period is required. N.D.C.C. 12.1-33-01(1); 12.1-33-02; 12.1-33-03 |
| Ohio | A person convicted of a felony cannot vote while incarcerated for it. The person becomes eligible to vote again on release, including while on parole, judicial release, community control, post-release control, or a conditional pardon, and remains eligible after final discharge. No waiting period or application is required (the person must be registered). A person with a felony conviction may not circulate or witness candidate, voter-registration, initiative, referendum or recall petitions. R.C. 2961.01(A)(2), (B) (eff. Sept. 30, 2008) |
| Oklahoma | People convicted of a felony cannot vote while serving any part of the sentence, including prison, parole, supervision or probation; a felony conviction cancels the voter registration. They become eligible to register again once they have fully served the sentence or had it discharged, received a commutation to time served (or a commutation for a crime reclassified from a felony to a misdemeanor with no time left to serve), or received a pardon, with no other felony sentence outstanding. The statute sets no extra waiting period; the person must register again. 26 O.S. §§ 4-101(1), 4-120(A)(3) |
| Oregon | People convicted of a felony in Oregon lose the right to vote only while they are incarcerated for it (including incarceration as a sanction for violating probation, parole or post-prison supervision). The right is restored automatically when the person is released, so people on parole, post-prison supervision or probation can vote. A person serving a prison term in a federal prison in Oregon cannot vote until discharged or paroled. ORS 137.281(1)-(3), (5), (7) |
| Pennsylvania | In Pennsylvania, only people currently confined in a correctional facility for a felony conviction (and not released before the next election) cannot register and vote. People with a felony conviction can vote once released, including while on probation or parole (even in a halfway house) and while under house arrest. A misdemeanor conviction does not affect voting, except a conviction for violating the Election Code within the last four years. There is no waiting period or application beyond registering. Pennsylvania Department of State, Information for Justice-Involved Individuals |
| Rhode Island | In Rhode Island a person convicted of a felony loses the right to vote only while incarcerated for it. Voting rights are restored on discharge from incarceration, so people on probation or parole can vote. Courts must tell defendants this before a felony plea or sentence, and the Department of Corrections must give people a voter registration form and help registering as part of release. R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-9.2-3(a)-(c) |
| South Carolina | In South Carolina, a person convicted of a felony (or of an election-law offense) cannot register or vote until the disqualification is removed by completing the sentence, including any probation and parole, unless the person is pardoned sooner. Anyone serving a term of imprisonment for a criminal conviction is also disqualified. Once the sentence is complete the person may register again; the statute sets no separate waiting period. S.C. Code § 7-5-120(B) |
| South Dakota | In South Dakota, a person who is serving a sentence for a felony conviction (state or federal) is removed from the voter registration records and may not register; the voter registration form requires the applicant to certify they are not currently serving a felony sentence. According to the Secretary of State, eligibility returns upon completion of the sentence, and a person who receives a suspended imposition of sentence does not lose the right to vote. The person must register again. SDCL 12-4-18, 12-4-1.2; South Dakota Secretary of State, Felony Convictions |
| Tennessee | In Tennessee, a person convicted of a felony on or after May 18, 1981 loses the right to vote and cannot register again until a court order restores voting rights; people convicted on or before May 17, 1981 only need to answer the felony question on the voter registration form. To get the court order, the person must have been pardoned, discharged from custody by reason of service, or granted a certificate of final discharge from parole or other supervision, must owe no restitution, and must be current on all child support orders for the previous 12 months; restoration is therefore not available while the person is still in custody or under supervision. Some felonies permanently bar restoration: first-degree murder, aggravated rape, treason or voter fraud (July 1, 1986 to June 30, 1996); murder, rape, treason or voter fraud (July 1, 1996 to June 30, 2006); and, on or after July 1, 2006, murder, rape, treason, voter fraud, certain bribery, official-misconduct and interference-with-government felonies, and felony sexual offenses against a minor. Tennessee Secretary of State, Restoration of Voting Rights guide |
| Texas | People with felony convictions cannot vote in Texas while serving any part of the sentence. A person convicted of a felony becomes a qualified voter again once they have fully discharged the sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole or supervision, or completed a period of probation, or have been pardoned or otherwise released from the disability to vote. Rights return automatically at that point, but the person must register to vote. A deferred adjudication without a finding of guilt is not a final conviction for this purpose. Tex. Elec. Code § 11.002(a)(4), (a)(6), (b) |
| Utah | In Utah a person with a felony conviction cannot vote only while incarcerated. The right to register and vote is restored automatically when the person is sentenced to probation, is granted parole, or successfully completes the prison term. This applies to felony convictions from any state or federal court. Utah Code § 20A-2-101.5(1), (2) |
| Vermont | Vermont does not take away the right to vote for a criminal conviction. A person convicted of a crime keeps the right to vote, including while serving a sentence of confinement: they vote by early voter absentee ballot at their last voluntary residence (not the prison address) if they meet the other voting requirements (U.S. citizen, Vermont resident, 18 or older, and has taken the voter's oath). 28 V.S.A. § 807; 17 V.S.A. § 2121 |
| Virginia | The Virginia Constitution says no person convicted of a felony may vote unless their civil rights are restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority, but the Department of Elections says that under a recent federal court order, a felony conviction now takes away voting rights only for certain 'common law felonies' from 1870. Virginia has identified three statutes that match these: murder (§ 18.2-32), voluntary manslaughter (§ 18.2-35) and involuntary manslaughter (§ 18.2-36). People with other felony convictions may register once they are no longer physically incarcerated, with no application to the Governor; no one may register or vote while physically incarcerated for a felony, and people convicted of a disqualifying offense still need restoration by the Governor. Va. Const. art. II, § 1; Virginia Department of Elections, 'Felony Convictions and Voter Eligibility' |
| Washington | For a Washington felony conviction, the right to vote is restored automatically as long as the person is not serving a sentence of total confinement under the Department of Corrections, so people on community custody (parole or probation) can vote. For a federal or other-state felony, the right is restored automatically once the person is no longer incarcerated. A person whose voting right was suspended must reregister before voting. Confinement as a sanction for a community custody violation does not count as total confinement. RCW 29A.08.520(1), (3) |
| West Virginia | A person convicted of a felony, treason or bribery in an election, under state or federal law, cannot register or stay registered to vote while serving the sentence, including any period of incarceration, probation or parole. Once the sentence (including probation or parole) is finished, the disqualification no longer applies and the person may register again. The state constitution likewise bars voting by a person under conviction of treason, felony or bribery in an election 'while such disability continues.' W. Va. Code § 3-2-2(b); W. Va. Const. art. IV, § 1 |
| Wisconsin | A person convicted of treason, a felony or bribery may not vote until the right is restored by a pardon or by completing the sentence. The right to vote returns when the person completes the term of imprisonment or probation for the crime, and 'imprisonment' includes parole and extended supervision, so a person cannot vote while in prison, on parole/extended supervision or on probation for a felony. The Department of Corrections (or the jailer, for a county jail sentence) must tell the person in writing when the right is restored. Wis. Stat. §§ 6.03(1)(b), 304.078(1)(a), (3); Wis. Const. art. III, § 2(4)(a) |
| Wyoming | A person convicted of a felony cannot vote while in prison, on parole or on probation, and stays disqualified until rights are restored. A person convicted of a nonviolent felony (or several nonviolent felonies from the same occurrence) who has no other felony conviction gets voting rights back automatically: the Department of Corrections issues a certificate of restoration of voting rights once the whole sentence, including probation or parole, is complete (people who finished before January 1, 2010, or were convicted in another state, must send a written request). People convicted of a violent felony must apply to the Governor, who may restore rights after the sentence expires or probation is completed. A new felony conviction voids any certificate. W.S. 6-10-106(a), 7-13-105(a)-(c), (e), (h), (j) |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.