The Alien Sedition Act of 1798 extended the Naturalization Act to fourteen years. In the case of Trop v. Dulles in 1958, the Supreme Court ruled that your citizenship cannot be revoked for punishment to a crime. A part of your citizenship is having the right to vote. In 1952, Justice William Brennan concluded that the law revoking citizenship is "beyond the power of Congress to enact." .
Voting gives the people a political voice. It allows citizens to have a say in relevant issues and procedures. Voting offers a reminder to the people of just how much power they hold and how they are a part of the system that the Constitution made up and essentially governs this country. Within the power of voting comes a sense of unity. Citizens go out to vote for a candidate they wish to see sitting in a political seat to help make the country a better place for everyone. The majority of United States citizens want an economically, stable country. The unity of citizens when voting does have gray areas. Felons create the gray areas because they become outcasts. They open up the unity of the country due to the disenfranchisement laws making them unable to vote. Only two states, Maine and Vermont allow convicted felons to vote during their incarceration. .
The number of disenfranchised citizens in the United States have been increasing substantially in recent years. There is approximately 5.85 million disenfranchised citizens in the United States. In 1976 there was approximately 1.2 million citizens disenfranchised. Felons and ex-felons are the largest group of disenfranchised citizens. Fourteen states disenfranchise felons, parolees, probationers, and ex-felons; sixteen states disenfranchise felons, parolees, and probationers; four states disenfranchise felons and parolees; fourteen states disenfranchise only incarcerated felons and only two states allow voting to be available to inmates. One in every forty United States citizens that are of age to vote are disenfranchised due to a current felony or previous felony.
