Letter to the Editor: Rewarding Crime with Voting Rights

The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received May 16, 2023.
“Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting? Yes or No.”
This was the question asked on our ballots this past Election Day November 8, 2022. This question was approved, and there are several bills in Hartford to address early voting. However, there are several bills that DO NOT address early voting, but would (HB-5702) allow incarcerated individuals to vote, (HJ-19) lower the voting age to sixteen years, (HJ-12) allow illegal aliens who are residents of the state to vote in municipal and state elections.
I find HB 5702, “Allowing Incarcerated Individuals to Vote,” to be very disturbing.
1. Why would we want to reward violent murders, robbers, and rapists for their heinous crimes with the right to vote?
2. Why would we want to reward violent murderers with the right to vote after they took their victims’ lives and the victims’ right to vote away?
3. This bill was introduced and voted out of committee by all Democrats. Why would they sell their souls to woo the prison population for votes?
Doug Downey
Higganum