Watch Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders Voice Support For Voter Enfranchisement

[Note: This is not a political endorsement by Florida Action Committee.]

In his April 22nd Town Hall on CNN, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders expressed his unwavering support for the right to vote for all adult citizens. He reiterates that there should be no excluded group in our democracy, and that as soon as you start excluding groups it becomes a slippery slope.

It could serve as a sign of progress that a front-and-center presidential candidate is expressing this idea. Recall that, particularly in 2016, many of Bernie Sanders’ ideas were considered fringe. Despite his loss, much of his platform was subsequently adopted by the mainstream left and the Democratic Party. This includes criminal justice reforms which we have seen move from impossible to probable and even reality in the last few years. If history repeats itself, regardless of whether Sanders wins the primary or general election, we will hopefully see his progressive criminal justice reform ideas become more pervasive in U.S. political discourse.

Video source: https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/04/23/felony-voting-rights-bernie-sanders-town-hall-bts-vpx.cnn

Full town hall video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADkxdxxX5qo

Segment Transcript

QUESTION: Senator Sanders, you have said that you believe that people with felony records should be allowed to vote while in prison. Does this mean that you would support enfranchising people like the Boston Marathon bomber, a convicted terrorist and murderer? Do you think that those convicted of sexual assault should have the opportunity to vote for politicians who could have a direct impact on women’s rights?

SANDERS: OK, thank you for the question, Anne. And let me just say this. What our campaign is about and what I believe is creating a vibrant democracy. Today, as you may know, we have one of the lowest voter turnouts of any major country on Earth. I want to see us have one of the highest voter turnouts.

[21:05:00]

And by the way, what we’re seeing is more young people getting involved in the political process, but not enough. And in my view, if young people voted at the same percentage that older people voted in this country, we would transform this nation.

But to get to your point, we live in a moment where cowardly Republican governors are trying to suppress the vote. And in fact, right here, as you may know, in New Hampshire, the legislature and the governor are working hard to make it more difficult for young people to vote. And to me, that is an incredibly undemocratic, un-American process. And I say to those people, by the way, if you don’t have the guts to participate in free and fair elections, you should get another job and get out of politics, all right? So we’ve got to…

(APPLAUSE)

So here is — Anne, to answer your question, as it happens, in my own state of Vermont, from the very first days of our state’s history, what our Constitution says is that everybody can vote. That is true. So people in jail can vote.

Now, here is my view. If somebody commits a serious crime, sexual assault, murder, they’re going to be punished. They may be in jail for 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, their whole lives. That’s what happens when you commit a serious crime.

But I think the right to vote is inherent to our democracy, yes, even for terrible people, because once you start chipping away and you say, well, that guy committed a terrible crime, not going to let him vote. Oh, that person did that, not going to let that person vote. You’re running down a slippery slope.

So I believe that people commit crimes, they paid the price. When they get out of jail, I believe they certainly should have the right to vote. But I do believe that even if they are in jail they’re paying their price to society, but that should not take away their inherent American right to participate in our democracy.

(APPLAUSE)

CUOMO: Applause for the answer. My follow question goes to this being like you’re writing an opposition ad against you by saying you think the Boston Marathon bomber should vote not after he pays his debt to society, but while he’s in jail. You sure about that?

SANDERS: Well, Chris, I think I have written many 30-second opposition ads throughout my life. This will be just another one. But I do believe, look, you know, this is what I believe. Do you believe in democracy? Do you believe that every single American 18 years of age or older who’s an American citizen has the right to vote?

Once you start chipping away at that, believe me, that’s what our Republican governors all over this country are doing. They come up with all kinds of excuses while people of color, young people, poor people can’t vote, and I will do everything I can to resist it. This is a democracy. We’ve got to expand that democracy, and I believe every single person does have the right to vote.