Proposal on vote for felons clears Senate

DOVER, Delaware (AP):

The state Senate has approved a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at making it easier for convicted felons to vote in Delaware.

The bill, which cleared the Senate on a 16-to-4 vote yesterday, would amend the state constitution to eliminate the five-year waiting period before eligible felons who have fully completed their sentences could have their voting rights restored.

The proposed amendment also must pass the next General Assembly in Delaware before it can become law.

The bill narrowly won approval in the House in March, after initially failing to get the required two-thirds majority. It was resurrected and passed with just enough votes to spare after a dissenting Republican lawmaker was assured that a lifetime ban on voting for felons who commit violent crimes would remain in place.