Kentucky`s new Democratic governor allows 140,000 ex-felons to vote
(The Guardian United States)

Andy Beshear signs executive order allowing those with non-violent felony convictions to vote after completing their sentencesGovernor Andy Beshear of Kentucky signed an executive order on Thursday that will allow people with non-violent felony convictions to vote once they complete their criminal sentences, a major voting rights victory that could allow up to 140,000 people to cast a ballot in the state.Since 1891, the state has banned anyone with a felony from voting for life, unless their voting rights are restored by the governor, making Kentucky among the strictest jurisdictions when it comes to voting rights for felons in the country, and the world. Currently, about 10% of the state´s population (more than 312,000 people) is disenfranchised because of this policy, according to a 2016 estimate by the Sentencing Project. Continue reading...