The Texas standard is a smart place to start.
Former felony offenders most likely will face significant hurdles to a successful reentry to life outside of prison, such as getting a job, renting an apartment or even voting. Establishing a national standard for restoring the right to vote is a reasonable step toward a healthy return to society.
Of the millions of Americans convicted of felonies each year, most serve their sentence and eventually return to communities all across this nation. Yet, despite growing support among some conservatives and progressives, repeated efforts to restore voting rights to ex-convicts who have fulfilled their legal obligations have stalled in Congress amid concerns from some Republicans that restoring rights would favor Democrats and that voting should be reserved for those who have not broken the law.
