NEW ORLEANS — The deadline to register to vote in-person or by mail is Monday in Louisiana, and voter registration drives have been popping up around the New Orleans area to help anyone who can vote get ready for the election.
Among the many volunteers helping people practice their right to vote, a New Orleans faith leader said he was inspired to make sure people get the right information, focusing on one group of people that is often overlooked during elections: felons.
At Bethel Lutheran Church, a voter registration drive took place Saturday morning, and the church’s pastor, Rev. Jerome N. Terry, was there to help others.
"Sometimes, they have been told that they cannot vote,” the reverend said of felons in Louisiana. “There was a time where they could not vote."
Terry said the law changed in 2019, leaving many confused about whether or not felons could vote. They can.
"I met a guy yesterday in the Rouses parking lot, out on the Lakefront,” Terry told WWLTV’s Paul Dudley. “He said 'I am a convicted felon.’ I said ‘Did you pay your dues? Did you serve your time?’ He said ‘I did.,’ and I said ‘You can vote.’"
Louisiana law gave back to some felons the right to vote in 2019, but there are some qualifications: No incarcerations in the last five years and no election offenses.
"They should be given the opportunity to reintegrate into society (to) become productive members of society — if that means voting, if that means obtaining jobs — whatever that means."
Jobs are part of the equation, the pastor said. Getting a job as a felon is challenging. Terry said he knew from experience, having visited Angola a few years ago to see their reintegration program. There he met an inmate who was trained as a mechanic.
"When he got out, I met him, and I took him to go get a job,” Terry said. “Unfortunately, the employers refused to employ him because he was a convicted felon. This was a guy who was already certified. He received his certification at Angola. That was a missed opportunity. "
But Terry said he isn’t losing hope. Inspired by democracy, he said those who served their time deserve another chance to be part of the voting process, and he’s spreading the word.
“Oftentimes, we as individuals need to do things for our brothers and sisters here in the world,” Terry said. “Give them information. Give them the information they are not aware of.”
Washington D.C., Maine and Vermont felons never lose their right to vote even while incarcerated, and in 11 states, voting rights are lost forever for some crimes unless the governor of that state issues a pardon.
