Upon his release from federal prison, Maurice Clark still had another five years of supervisory release to serve before he could get his voting rights restored. So the Knoxville resident did the next best thing: he began helping other ex-felons get their voting rights restored. Clark regained his right to cast a ballot in 2009 and continues to help other ex-felons now.
“It felt good to be able to go back in that booth and exercise that right, and it felt good to inspire others to say ‘Hey, if Maurice is doing it, I can do it,’” said Clark.
He told his story at a press conference Wednesday morning aimed at raising awareness to the estimated 421,000 Tennesseans who have lost their voting rights because of felony convictions. The event was held by the Campaign Legal Center as a part of their statewide campaign “Restore Your Vote.”
The group also assists eligible ex-felons in getting their voting rights restored. The campaign is working with local activists and groups such as One Knox Legacy Coalition to canvass local communities and find those who may qualify.
“We believe democracy works best when we can all participate without barriers, and while we are facing state laws that disenfranchise members of out community, we need to do everything we can to help them get their voting rights restored,” said Restore Your Vote organizer Gayle Schwartzberg.
Tennessee’s state laws regarding the disenfranchisement of non-violent felons are some of the most confusing in the country, according to Schwartzberg. Current laws vary based on when the conviction occurred, the type of crime committed, completion of one’s sentence, and payment of all restitution and court cost. For example, Tennessee is the only state in the U.S.A. that requires ex-felons to pony up child support back payments before their voting rights can be restored.
The complicated nature of these laws and lack of education about them has led many disenfranchised voters to believe they permanently lost their right to vote, speakers at the Wednesday event said.
“The number one thing we want disenfranchised voters to know is that you can get your rights restored. It may take some work, but we’re willing to work with you,” said Christina Thompson, of the One Knox Legacy Coalition.
Restoring voting rights to non-violent ex-felons has become a bipartisan cause, drawing support from liberal and conservative political groups. A Vanderbilt poll in June found three in four Tennesseans favored the principle.
In February of this year, two Republican state lawmakers teamed up with the American Civil Liberties Union to back a bill that would streamline the restoration process. That bill was pushed back to the 2020 legislative session.
Governor Bill Lee has talked about criminal justice reform as a priority of his term in office, but he did not mention voting restoration in his March “State of the State” address. It was also not specifically mentioned in a June executive order creating a criminal justice task force.
Other speakers at Wednesday’s event included activist Uganda TheGoddess and Knoxville city councilwoman Gwen McKenzie.
This story was reported by WUOT News intern Baylor Spears and edited by News Director Brandon Hollingsworth.