; 78 Stat. 241) and the Voting Rights Act 1965 ( 52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq. ) also extend the authority to Congress to continue to exercise its constitutional authority in this space as appropriate. (13) Congress is also moved to act given the discrepancies in State laws regarding criminal convictions leading to unfairness in Federal elections. As of 2024, 48 States have either temporarily or permanently banned individuals with felony convictions from voting while the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and 2 States, Maine and Vermont, ensure these individuals retain the franchise even while they are incarcerated. (14) In 23 States, individuals with felony convictions lose their access to the franchise only while incarcerated and get their right to vote automatically restored once their prison sentence is completed. These States are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington. (15) The remaining 25 States have voting laws on the books that are less friendly towards individuals with prior felony convictions. In 14 States, individuals with felony convictions typically have their voting rights restored after parole or probation is completed. These States are Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In the remaining 11 States, individuals with felony convictions lose their voting rights indefinitely for some crimes or require the pardon of a Governor to get their access to the franchise restored. These States are Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming. (16) Despite their disenfranchisement, individuals with felony convictions continue to be counted as part of State populations for representation purposes in Congress