Volunteers offered confidential guidance as Alabama’s changing felony voting laws left many residents unsure whether they could cast ballots.

The League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham (LWVGB) is launching an awareness campaign to educate Alabamians on voting rights restoration for individuals who have been disenfranchised by felony convictions.

While only a handful of crimes can permanently cost a person their vote, some require pardons from the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. Others require a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote (CERV) once they have completed their sentence.

Beyond the genuinely disenfranchised, the LWV said there are many more who believe they have lost their right to vote because of a conviction.  But when these individuals have the opportunity to look into their situation with trained volunteers, most find that they never lost their voting rights in the first place.

LWV volunteers can have private and confidential conversations with individuals about their voting and conviction status and determine 1) whether they have actually been disenfranchised by a felony conviction, and 2) a path to restore their voting rights if possible.

For people with felony convictions, the right to vote can be an important part of their successful re-entry back into the community, said Dana Ellis, LWVGB voting rights restoration director.  “That is what makes this public awareness campaign so important.  We want to let individuals across Alabama know there is a confidential way to inquire about their voting status and receive assistance with voting rights restoration if it is needed.”

The League’s awareness campaign includes distributing posters and flyers, and establishing a Speakers’ Bureau to provide in-person/virtual presentations for community organizations, civic groups, and media interviews.