Voting rights by state
Can you vote with a felony conviction?
It depends on the state, and on where someone is in their sentence. Washington, D.C., Maine and Vermont never take the right to vote away for a felony. In 24 states it comes back on release from prison; in 11 states once the whole sentence is done. In 13 states, some people have to take an extra step to get the right back, or can't get it back at all.
Every state checked against its own law and election office. Last checked October 30, 2026.
Map
- Never lost, even in prison3
- Back on release from prison24
- Back after the full sentence11
- Extra steps, or lost for good, for some13
Select a state for its rules, the law behind them and its election office.
General election
November 3, 2026
Each state sets its own registration deadline. Check yours at vote.gov, the federal government's voter site, or with your state election office.
Check before you register
These are each state's general rules. Your state or county election office can confirm your own status, for free. Voting while ineligible can carry criminal penalties, so if anything about your case is unclear, ask them first.
Every state, in words
| State | Answer | In prison | On parole | On probation | Fines and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Extra steps for some | Depends | Depends | Depends | Must be paid first |
| Alaska | Extra steps for some | Depends | Depends | Depends | Not confirmed |
| Arizona | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Required for some people |
| Arkansas | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Must be paid first |
| California | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Colorado | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Connecticut | After prisonWith an exception | Can't vote | Depends | Depends | Not required |
| Delaware | Extra steps for someWith an exception | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not required |
| District of Columbia | Never lost | Can vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Florida | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Must be paid first |
| Georgia | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Must be paid first |
| Hawaii | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Idaho | After the sentenceWith an exception | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
| Illinois | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Indiana | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Iowa | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Required for some people |
| Kansas | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Required for some people |
| Kentucky | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Required for some people |
| Louisiana | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Depends | Depends | Not confirmed |
| Maine | Never lost | Can vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Maryland | After prisonWith an exception | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Massachusetts | After prisonWith an exception | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Michigan | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Minnesota | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Mississippi | Extra steps for some | Depends | Depends | Depends | Not confirmed |
| Missouri | After prisonWith an exception | Can't vote | Depends | Depends | Not required |
| Montana | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Nebraska | After the sentenceWith an exception | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
| Nevada | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| New Hampshire | After prisonWith an exception | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| New Jersey | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| New Mexico | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| New York | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| North Carolina | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not required |
| North Dakota | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Ohio | After prisonWith an exception | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Oklahoma | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
| Oregon | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Pennsylvania | After prisonWith an exception | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Rhode Island | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| South Carolina | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
| South Dakota | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
| Tennessee | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Required for some people |
| Texas | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
| Utah | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Vermont | Never lost | Can vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| Virginia | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Depends | Depends | Not confirmed |
| Washington | After prison | Can't vote | Can vote | Can vote | Not required |
| West Virginia | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
| Wisconsin | After the sentence | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
| Wyoming | Extra steps for some | Can't vote | Can't vote | Can't vote | Not confirmed |
What the answers mean
- Never lost
- A felony conviction doesn't take away the right to vote, even during a prison sentence.
- After prison
- The right is lost only while someone is in prison for a felony. It comes back on release, including for people on parole or probation.
- After the sentence
- The right is lost through prison, parole and probation, and comes back once the whole sentence is complete.
- Extra steps for some
- For some people, the right doesn't come back on its own: they may need a governor's or court's approval, have to wait, or have to pay fines and fees first. Certain crimes can take it away for good. The state page says who and how.
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Every state's answer, the stage-by-stage rules, the law and the sources, in one file. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit to Second Chance Index.
How we checked
Every rule comes from the state's constitution or election law, or from the state election office's own pages. Trackers kept by research and advocacy groups helped us find the law, but we don't cite them. Each state was read by a second person before it went up, is re-checked at least every 90 days, and every source it cites is opened again each week to catch changes. How we check · What changed
This page summarizes each state's general rules. It isn't legal advice, and individual cases can turn on details of a sentence. Confirm with your state or county election office.
Spot something out of date? Tell us at contact@secondchanceindex.com.