Can a Felon Vote in Massachusetts? (Updated)

Massachusetts is one of the 50 US states. It is also one of the original 13 British colonies that formed the United States of America.

The state of Massachusetts currently has 17 correctional facilities where an average of 10,000 inmates live. 93% of the total inmates are male, while the rest are female.

Inmates are still a part of the US population. Therefore, it is unfair to deprive them of their basic rights, including their right to vote.

Can Felons Vote in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, prisoners are not given the right to vote until after they are released from prison. As long as they are incarcerated, they are not allowed to vote.

If a person is convicted of a felony offense and is imprisoned, that person automatically loses their right to vote and does not regain it until after they have been freed.

The rule followed in Massachusetts is unlike those in some states where only people guilty of specific crimes lose their right to vote, or where inmates do not regain their voting rights at all.

Those who have just been released from prison need to re-register themselves in order to regain their right to vote.

How Felons Can Restore Voting Rights in Massachusetts?

The process is the same for former inmates as it is for ordinary voters. Upon their release, they simply need to re-register themselves.

Voter registration can be done by ex-offenders either online, by mail, or in person.
Application requires former inmates to include their most updated information in their application form.
First time voters and former inmates prefer the online registration process. If a former inmate chooses to register online, an online form is available through the state website.
If registering by mail or in person, former inmates need to identify the address of the Elections Division of the Secretary of Massachusetts, and the nearest local election office.