On August 3, 2020, the American Bar Association House of Delegates adopted resolution 116H calling upon governments at all levels to repeal disenfranchisement laws based upon criminal conviction, to restore voting rights, both during and post imprisonment, to those disenfranchised due to criminal conviction, and to assure that no person convicted of a crime is dienfranchsed because of nonpayment of fees, fines, or restitution associated with that conviction. The report accompanying the resolution is available here. The full text of the resolution states:
RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges federal, state, local, 2 territorial, and tribal governments to:
a. repeal laws that disenfranchise persons based upon criminal conviction;
b. restore voting rights to those currently and formerly incarcerated, including those on probation, parole, or any other community-based correctional program;
c. assure that no person convicted of crime is disenfranchised because of nonpayment of a fine, court costs, restitution or other financial obligations imposed as a result of a criminal conviction.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association amends the Criminal Justice Standards on Collateral Sanctions and Discretionary Disqualification of Convicted Persons (3d Edition, 2004) as follows:
Standards 19-2.6 Prohibited collateral sanctions.
Jurisdictions should not impose the following collateral sanctions:
(a) deprivation of the right to vote.