Petition: Trump's special treatment

The following advertisement from Common Cause has been sent to you via Mother Jones' email list. Mother Jones is a nonprofit, and most of our budget comes from readers like you, but revenue from advertisers helps us produce more of the hard-hitting journalism you expect. We never disclose your information to an advertiser. Mother Jones does not endorse any candidate, political organization, commercial product, or service, and the views expressed in this email do not constitute any endorsement or recommendation by Mother Jones. Mother Jones Reader, despite his 34 felony convictions, Donald Trump doesn’t have to worry about his eligibility to vote this fall. He has the wealth, connections, and privilege to ensure his voting rights would never be in question – not to mention a high-powered legal team paid for by his political donors due to gaps in campaign finance laws. [1] But the 4.4 million ordinary Americans currently disenfranchised by felony convictions aren’t so lucky. Just look at Trump’s home state of Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis has personally guaranteed that the former president will be able to cast a ballot this fall. [2] In stark contrast, Black Florida residents have been dragged from their homes at gunpoint and arrested for the "crime" of not realizing they were ineligible to vote. [3] [It’s time to end this double standard and ensure NO American is denied their right to vote in federal elections. Tell Congress: Pass the Inclusive Democracy Act to restore full voting rights to all Americans with felony convictions.]( [SIGN THE PETITION]( Mother Jones Reader, felony disenfranchisement laws have a shameful history dating back to Jim Crow – and were never intended to target wealthy, powerful people like Trump. In fact, white lawmakers in the South declared openly in the early 1900’s that they saw felony disenfranchisement as a tool to guarantee white supremacy. By passing harsh laws that could be selectively applied, they denied Black men their voting rights on trivial charges like “moral turpitude” or “vagrancy.” [4] Today, laws vary state to state – with some granting full voting rights to currently and formerly incarcerated citizens, and others denying those rights based on those same Jim Crow-era policies. This has created a confusing patchwork of laws across the country, and the impacts are profound: it's estimated that upwards of 18 million eligible Americans do not vote each year because of confusion about their rights. [5] The Inclusive Democracy Act would end this injustice for good. It’s time to end these Jim Crow leftovers and invite ALL citizens to fully participate in our democracy – not just those with status and privilege. [Mother Jones Reader, it’s on us to speak out for what’s right. I hope you’ll join me in calling on Congress to pass the Inclusive Democracy Act and help end the inequality of our so-called “justice” system.]( Thanks for all you do, Devon Bhakta, Digital Campaigns Manager and the team at Common Cause --------------------------------------------------------------- [1] [( [2] [( [3] [( [4] [( [5] [( Common Cause 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington DC 20005 [Mother Jones]( Mother Jones and its nonprofit publisher, The Center for Investigative Reporting, do not endorse any political candidate, political organization, commercial product, process, or service, and the views expressed in this communication do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Mother Jones. This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755