Benge Backs Clingman On Felon Voting

House Speaker Chris Benge said today he agrees with a state Election Board official that former felons cannot register to vote until their full sentence has expired.

The American Civil Liberties Union recently said that former Oklahoma felons should be able to register to vote in the upcoming presidential election if they are no longer incarcerated, have completed any probation or parole requirements and are no longer under the supervision of the prison system.

But, Election Board Secretary Michael Clingman said he believes the law forbids former felons from registering to vote until the length of their original sentence has ended, even if they do not serve the entire time.

Benge said he supports Clingman’s interpretation of the law.

“It is vital that we ensure our laws are properly interpreted and strictly followed,” said Benge. “When a sentence is handed down by our court system, we need to respect that amount of time, regardless of whether the criminal spends it all in jail or not.”

State law says “Persons convicted of a felony shall be ineligible to register for a period of time equal to the time prescribed in the judgment and sentence.”

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