Nonprofit helping Arkansas felons restore their voting rights as deadline for registration approaches

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- The Washitaw Foothills Youth Media Arts & Literacy Collective, through its program Voter Registration, Education & Participation, helps raise awareness and educate communities that are often forgotten during voting registration periods.

One of those communities includes convicted felons.

“It’s one of my favorite programs we’ve done for the last 20 years,” Washitaw Foothills Youth Media Arts & Literacy Collective Co-Director Kwami Abdul-Bey said.

Abdul-Bey says that many convicted felons who have served their time and corrected their actions are unaware that they can restore their voting rights.

“He was told when he was convicted by the judge that he no longer had the right to vote,” Abdul-Bey said.

While at the time of the conviction, this was true, there are under certain conditions that a felon can restore their rights.

As stated on the Arkansas Government Website , Arkansas law affords convicted felons the unique opportunity to have their voting rights restored under certain conditions.

The felon must provide proof to the county clerk that he or she (1) has been discharged from probation or parole, (2) has paid all probation or parole fees, (3) satisfied all terms of imprisonment, and (4) paid all applicable court costs, fines, or restitution (Ark. Code Ann. Amend. 51 §11(d)(2)(A-D)).

According to Abdul-Bey, it is often a very special moment when felons are made aware they can vote.

“It’s extremely important for people to vote because Arkansas has the lowest voter registration in the entire United States,” Abdul-Bey said. “We also have the lowest voter participation, so that’s why the program is called Voter Registration Education and Participation, or REP.”

Abdul-Bey says the only way to change these numbers is to reach out to communities not accessed commonly during voter registration.

Felons are not the only ones; the elderly who can’t drive anymore or high school students who will be 18 years old on the election date can also be included.

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