Mike Tyson among felons allowed to cast ballots in this election: ‘I’m proud to finally vote’
The boxer plans to vote for the first time after his criminal record previously barred him from doing so
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Your support makes all the difference.Mike Tyson is ready to punch his ballot.
The legendary boxer has revealed that he will be voting for the first time in the 2020 US election after spending years thinking he was unable to participate.
"This will be my 1st time voting. I never thought I could because of my felony record. I'm proud to finally vote," Tyson tweeted on Tuesday. He shared the news with his followers along with a link to register to vote and the hashtag #NationalVoterRegistrationDay.
Tyson, 54, served three years in prison after being convicted of one count of rape and two counts of deviant sexual conduct in 1992. The conviction stripped Tyson of his right to vote, but a recent law that took effect in his home state of Nevada will allow him to participate in this year's election. Under the law, passed in 2019, any Nevada resident who is convicted of a felony is immediately restored their right to vote upon being released from prison.
According to the advocacy group The Sentencing Project, 6.1 million Americans were not able to vote in the 2016 election due to felony records. State approaches to felon disenfranchisement vary greatly, though the general trend has been toward reinstating the right to vote at some point, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Joining Tyson as a first-time voter this year is Snoop Dogg, who explained in June that he previously wasn't allowed to cast a ballot due to previous felony convictions. The rapper explained in an interview with LA radio station Real 92.3, "My record's been expunged so now I can vote."
When asked what he thought about Trump and voting, Snoop Dogg added, "I ain't never voted a day in my life, but this year I think I'm going to get out and vote because I can't stand to see this punk in office one more year."
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