Busting Voting Myths: Are Former Inmates Allowed to Cast Ballots in Michigan?

Detroit Today producer Jake Neher speaks with activists working to make sure people know their rights.

Photo Credit: Jake Neher, WDET

Jake Neher/WDET

As we approach the November election, there are some activist groups working to bust myths about who can vote, and who can’t.

You may have heard, for instance, that people convicted of felonies can’t vote, even after they’ve served their time.

But that’s not true here in Michigan. The myth persists, though, and activists say it’s keeping some people from registering and going to the polls.

Detroit Today producer Jake Neher speaks with Ashley Carter, a native Detroiter and staff attorney with Advancement Project, a national racial justice organization based in Washington, D.C., and Robert Olive, the chairman of the Detroit chapter of Nation Outside, a criminal justice advocacy group.

Olive is a former inmate himself.

Click on the audio player above to hear that conversation.

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