Felons seek expanded voting rights in Nebraska, hope to get rid of 2-year waiting period

For 58-year-old Shakur Abdullah, getting released from prison last year after more than four decades inside came with an irony he hopes to change.

“I was 17 when I went in, and so I was too young to vote,” he said. “Now I’m definitely old enough to, but I still can’t.”

That’s why he’s leading the charge to change Nebraska law to allow felons to vote once they complete their sentence or parole. Currently those “returning citizens,” as Abdullah wants them to be referred to, can’t vote until two years after their sentence is complete.

Wearing his “I couldn’t vote today” T-shirt in a room of about 10 community leaders and activists Saturday, Abdullah launched the Justus15Vote Initiative. The initiative includes an online petition on Change.org.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/felons-seek-expanded-voting-rights-in-nebraska-hope-to-get/article_02037ec4-8f2f-5b8f-8683-762e215cefc4.html