Millions barred from casting ballots
Millions of Americans were barred from casting ballots in yesterday's crucial midterm elections due to criminal records, which effectively exclude many minority voters to the detriment of Democrats.
Nearly six million Americans are excluded from voting because they are imprisoned, on parole or awaiting sentencing. African-Americans, who are overrepresented in the US penal system, are four times more likely to be unable to vote than the rest of the population, according to The Sentencing Project, a nonprofit organization.
Rules vary widely by state, with some like Maine and New Hampshire allowing inmates to vote. But in places such as Kentucky, Iowa, Virginia and Florida, any conviction -- even for a minor offense like possession of marijuana -- results in lifelong disenfranchisement. In Florida, where Donald Trump won by just 112,000 votes in 2016, nearly 1.5 million people are cannot vote because of a criminal record.
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