Millions of Americans will be barred from casting ballots in Tuesday's midterm elections due to state-level electoral rules. Rules vary widely by state, with some like Maine and New Hampshire allowing inmates to vote. But in places such as Kentucky, Iowa, Virginia and Florida, any conviction -- even for a minor offense like possession of marijuana -- results in lifelong disenfranchisement.
Nearly six million Americans are excluded from voting because they are imprisoned, on parole or awaiting sentencing.
1.5 million Floridians are disenfranchised
African-Americans, who are overrepresented in the US penal system, are four times more likely to be unable to vote than the rest of the population.
Nearly six million Americans are excluded from voting because they are imprisoned, on parole or awaiting sentencing.
1.5 million Floridians are disenfranchised
African-Americans, who are overrepresented in the US penal system, are four times more likely to be unable to vote than the rest of the population.
There is no national identity card in the United States, with each state defining what documents can be used as identification at the polling station. And according to the American Civil Liberties Union, an influential civil rights organization, several states have imposed restrictive rules since 2010.
North Dakota has since 2016 required its residents to present a document with proof of a street address. But the state is home to thousands of Native Americans who live on reservations in rural areas with but a single post office box.
In Georgia, the data voters provide when registering at the polls have since 2017 been compared to those given when applying for a driver's license or social security number. If there are discrepancies, authorities might refuse the registration. 53,000 applications are currently pending, 70 percent of which belong to African-Americans.
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