Felon Voting ProCon.org Notices Archive

6/1/2009 - UPDATED: Does Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) apply to felon disenfranchisement laws? See US Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's dissenting opinion in Hayden v. Pataki (May 4, 2006) arguing for the right of convicted felons to vote while incarcerated and on parole.

5/29/2009 - UPDATED: Books and Articles about Using Controversial Issues to Stimulate Critical Thinking: Take a look at our list of 16 publications, including 15 full text articles, on this important educational topic.

5/19/2009 - Our Volunteer Program – created on Feb. 9, 2009 – has been a great success. We thank all the volunteers who have helped us so far, and we encourage others to consider becoming a ProCon.org volunteer or intern.

4/10/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org – 411 schools (73 elementary and middle schools, 148 high schools, and 190 colleges and universities) in 45 states and 11 countries use ProCon.org content in their classrooms.

4/10/2009 - UPDATED: In the News - 113 mainstream media--the most recent including Washington Post, Guardian, and CBS News--have referenced ProCon.org’s websites.

4/7/2009 - NEW: Join ProCon.org on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

4/2/2009 – NEW DESIGN – Whether you are visiting for the first time or coming back for the 100th time, we’d love to know: What do you think of our new website design?

4/2/2009 - NEW: Survey for Teachers and Librarians - Please take our 2-minute survey so we can learn how to make our sites more useful to educators.

3/23/2009 - UPDATED: In the News – We added 10 more media references and surpassed 100 mentions in the press for the first time in our history. 103 mainstream media outlets have now referenced ProCon.org.

3/9/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org – See how 66 elementary and middle schools, 133 high schools, and 176 colleges and universities in 45 states and eight countries use ProCon.org content in their educational materials.

3/2/2009 – NEW PROCON.ORG WEBSITE! – Can alternative energy effectively replace fossil fuels? – Our 17th issue website has over 200 pro and con responses from more than 175 experts on energy topics such as oil, solar, wind, nuclear, ethanol, biofuels, hydrogen vs. electricity, subsidies, and more.

2/25/2009 - Articles about Using Controversial Issues to Stimulate Critical Thinking – Attention educators. We have compiled over a dozen published articles on why and how to develop critical thinking skills by teaching controversial topics in the classroom.

2/25/2009 - UPDATED: In the News - Our list of media references has grown to 93. See the latest additions from Popular Science magazine, Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN), two radio stations, and more.

2/6/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org - See how 352 schools in 45 states and eight countries use ProCon.org content in their educational materials.

2/2/2009 - ProCon.org was honored to receive the 2008 “Best Non-Profit to Work For” award in a national competition. ProCon.org was one of five winners in its class of “non-profits with an operating budget of under $2.5 million.” There were 15 winners total. There are roughly 1,000,000 nonprofit organizations in the United States.

1/23/2009 - NEW: Should felons be allowed to vote?

1/12/2009 - NEW TOPIC SURVEY - Select the topic you would most like ProCon.org to cover next.

1/9/2009 - NEW: Quotes About Critical Thinking – Read twelve stimulating quotes about critical thought. We share these statements as part of our mission to promote critical thinking.

12/31/2008 - UPDATED: See How Schools Are Using ProCon.org: 50 elementary and middle schools, 100 high schools, and 116 colleges and universities (that we know of) have used ProCon.org in their teaching materials.

12/29/2008 - NEW PROCON.ORG WEBSITE! - Should performance enhancing drugs (such as steroids) be accepted in sports? Read over 250 pro and con responses from more than 200 experts on nearly 30 subjects related to drugs in sports at our 17th website, sports.procon.org.

12/3/2008 - Big Three auto makers compared to Toyota and Honda by ProCon.org – We explore the question “Should the Big Three auto makers be bailed out by the US government?” in our first ever “mini” site. See the 144-point comparison chart and read statements from Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Paul Krugman, and many others.

11/18/2008 - NEW: ProCon.org for Teachers - Lesson plan ideas, natl. teaching standards, articles about teaching controversial issues, teachers' comments, and students' comments.

11/4/2008 – ProCon.org was referenced in the media six times last week. See our In the News page for the Swedish, Russian, and four US publications that mentioned ProCon.org.

10/28/2008 - NEW: US Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) Convicted; May Lose Ability to Vote

10/15/2008 - ProCon.org welcomes its newest Board Member, Mr. A Searle Field, JD.

10/14/2008 - UPDATED: In the Classroom - 256 schools in 42 states and five countries reference ProCon.org in their K-12 and university level lesson plans and resource lists.

10/9/2008 - ProCon.org received four more media references in the last three days. See our coverage at Slate, National Catholic Reporter, and others in our growing In the News page.

10/3/2008 - ProCon.org User Survey passes 1,000 responses. See the survey results so far.

9/30/2008 – ProCon.org received two more media mentions last week. Visit our In the News page to see our latest media references.

9/25/2008 - UPDATED: State Felon Voting Laws: Read which states permit people convicted of felonies to vote. Maine and Vermont allow voting from prison but many other states permanently bar felons from voting even after prison, parole, and probation are completed.

8/26/2008 - NEW: ProCon.org received four more media references in the last 30 days.

8/18/2008 - UPDATED: Is felon disenfranchisement unconstitutional?

8/13/2008 - UPDATED: Major Legal Cases - Read our chart of precedent-setting legal cases that have affected the ability of felons to vote in the

8/4/2008 - UPDATED: State Felon Voting Laws - Chart updated to show felon voting guidelines in all 50 states. Two states - Maine and Vermont - permit felons to vote in prison while 14 other states including Alabama and Florida may permanently bar felons from voting.

7/31/2008 - NEW WEBSITE: Death Penalty ProCon.org – “Should the death penalty be abolished?” Read pros, cons, stats, news, bios, and more great information related to this perennially controversial topic. Explore our 15th issue website at ProCon.org and let us know what you think.

6/30/2008 - We are proud to announce the new ProCon.org sites that became available Monday June 30, 2008. See over 10 new features in a new design and layout that took over 25 people nearly 2 years and 9,000 hours to complete. If you like what you see, please tell your friends.

5/30/2008 - NEW WEBSITE: Insider Trading ProCon.org – Should "insider trading" by Congress continue to be legal? Read pros, cons, and general reference information in the debate over whether Congressional representatives should be allowed to trade stocks based on material nonpublic information that they acquire during their normal Congressional duties.

5/23/2008 - ProCon.org Referenced in the Los Angeles Times and the Social Studies Professional – The number of media references to ProCon.org increased to 50 this week with favorable coverage by two respected publications.

4/17/2008 - NEW: User Survey – Please help us by taking our 1-2 minute survey on your experience at ProCon.org. Your feedback will help us to improve.

2/29/2008 - NEW: Subscribe to our free RSS feed and automatically receive the latest news and notices from our 13 ProCon.org websites. To subscribe, click on the RSS button in the top right of the homepage and follow the instructions provided on the screen. It takes a few seconds, and you can unsubscribe whenever you want.

12/12/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: 2008 Election ProCon.org – Read pro and con statements from the 2008 presidential candidates on several issues including abortion, education, environment, gun control, Iran, Iraq, religion, social security, and many more. Decide for yourself which candidate would make the best US President.

11/26/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: Immigration ProCon.org – What are the solutions to illegal immigration? ProCon.org explores the debate over illegal immigration with 50 questions, 200+ sources, and over 350 pro, con, and general reference responses.

10/17/2007 - NEW: Felon Voting Polls. See what the public thinks about whether felons should be able to vote.

9/28/2007 - NEW: Felon Voting Quiz. Test your knowledge on felon disenfranchisement issues with this 10-question quiz. The first 50 U.S. residents to get an "A" will receive a special prize.

9/28/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: Milk ProCon.org - Is drinking milk healthy for humans? We investigate health claims about milk using over 100 experts. The results of our research show conflicting data on milk's effect on cancer, heart disease, weight loss, diabetes, children's development, and other health issues. Visit our newest website and tell us what you think.

8/14/2007 - NEW: Major Legal Cases Affecting Felon Voting - Read eight important felon voting cases from 1966 to 2007 with summaries, excerpts, and PDFs of the court decisions.

7/27/2007 - NEW: Washington's Supreme Court rules that felons must pay fines and other court fees before voting.

6/26/2007 - 2008 Presidential Election Poll - Visit our parent website ProCon.org and vote on the issues you want us to ask the U.S. Presidential candidates. Poll will close on July 15th.

5/14/2007 - New ProCon.org website:

5/1/2007 - New ProCon.org website:

4/30/2007 - We examined Do state re-enfranchisement procedures fairly and effectively enable felons to regain the ability to vote?

4/13/2007 - See Is felon disenfranchisement a reasonable step in the process of rehabilitating felons and re-integrating them back into society after prison?

4/6/2007 - Our newest question examines Does the concept of "taxation without representation" justify giving felons the vote?

3/30/2007 - Our newest question explores Does the 'social contract' theory present a valid reason for felon disenfranchisement?

3/19/2007 - We added Should felons have to pay all fines, fees, and restitutions related to their conviction before regaining their vote?

3/12/2007 - Our new question examines Did Florida's felon disenfranchisement laws cause Al Gore to lose the 2000 presidential election?

3/9/2007 - Read our new 1-Minute Overview of the felon voting debate in about one minute.

3/2/2007 - Our newest question asks Are felons more likely to vote for Democrats over Republicans?

2/21/2007 - Our newest question examines Does the U.S. Congress have authority to legislate felon enfranchisement in federal elections?

2/9/2007 - Today we added the question Should felons out of prison but under judicial supervision (i.e. parole or probation) regain their ability to vote?

1/30/2007 - Our comprehensive search engine (top right on the homepage) allows visitors to quickly find a word or phrase on the Under God ProCon.org website. The search function at www.procon.org allows visitors to simultaneously search all ProCon.org websites.

1/29/2007 - Our newest question asks Should felons be permitted to vote while in prison?

1/26/2007 -We examine Would re-enfranchised felons, voting as a bloc, subvert laws protecting society?

1/8/2007 - Euthanasia ProCon.org, our newest website, was launched today. It features nearly 600 pro, con, and general reference arguments in 80 questions. Visit the site today and decide for yourself: "Should euthanasia be legal?"

12/22/2006 - See our new question Do felon disenfranchisement laws conflict with the U.S. Constitution?

11/9/2006 - Rhode Island votes to ease felon voting restrictions, 51% - 48%.

11/3/2006 - See our new questions on the Voting Rights Act:

9/21/2006 - Our newest question asks Should felons lose their ability to vote in elections because society can no longer trust them or their judgment?

9/14/2006 - We explore some demographics in our new question What is the breakdown of the felon population by the type of crime committed?

9/8/2006 - Our newest addition examines the controversial question Are felon disenfranchisement laws a form of racial discrimination?

8/24/2006 - Our new chart offers a comparison of felon disenfranchisement laws in 45 democratic countries .

8/24/2006 - Do you want to know How do U.S. felon disenfranchisement laws compare to those of other countries?

8/18/2006 - We added a pro-con examination of the question Are felons on probation or parole considered to be still serving their term of imprisonment?

8/11/2006 - If you've ever wondered Other than voting, what other privileges, benefits, and/or rights do felons lose?, then take a look.

8/8/2006 - Find out What does the U.S. Constitution say about voting and punishment?

8/1/2006 - Our newest questions examine:

7/30/2006 - See the U.S. History of Felon Voting / Disenfranchisement

4/8/2005 - April ProCon.org Poll - Visit our parent site www.ProCon.org and help us select the best slogan for the organization.