Six serving prisoners are currently seeking the right to vote ahead of the 2014 Election on September 20.
Arthur William Taylor has lost his High Court bid and is joined by Joel Twain McVay, Rhys Warren, Hinemanu Ngaranoa, Sandra Wilde and Maritta Matthews in the fight to allow serving prisoners the right to vote, reports Stuff.
They were trying to argue that the Electoral (Disqualification of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act 2010 was inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.
Under the Amendment Act, all people in prison on election day are unable to vote.
The appeals were declined on the basis it was unrealistic to expect legislative change before September 20.
What do you think?
SunLive asked people in the community what their thoughts were on the subject.
Watch the video above to see what they had to say.
13 comments
No vote for prisoners
Posted on 13-09-2014 17:50 | By bogside
Privileges come with responsibilities. They have chosen to act irresponsibly so they should forego any privileges such as voting.
NO!
Posted on 13-09-2014 17:54 | By Mary Faith
They seem to have rights for everything else - lets keep at least one away from them! They are after all criminals!!
Vote
Posted on 13-09-2014 18:37 | By Rik
Yes that is why we are democracy, not a dictatorship.
No Way!
Posted on 13-09-2014 18:56 | By rosbo
If prisoners break the law,, why should they a say on those who make them
vote
Posted on 13-09-2014 19:39 | By dumbkof2
no they choose to go to jail so they should lose all rights and privilages
Simple answer really,,...
Posted on 13-09-2014 19:50 | By groutby
NO..you break the law you reap the (nil) benefits from doing so...rights and privelidges, such as voting are anulled and should be. After a certain "time" after (ex) criminals are approved, then yes, why not.
No
Posted on 14-09-2014 11:00 | By Raewyn
They obviously took other peoples rights away from them, that's why they got convicted and put in jail!
NO
Posted on 14-09-2014 14:09 | By Calm Gully
They lost the right to vote when they did the crime. When released they will need to re-enrol.
Need a better rule
Posted on 14-09-2014 14:14 | By cs1983
If you get sentenced for a week on the week the election is - you're not allowed to vote yet if you get sentenced for 2.5 years and you're out the week before election you can vote... ... I reckon it should be if you're in jail for anything longer than 4 years you should be not allowed to vote for 2 elections - as well as murder and manslaughter... if its anything like a shop lifting thing and you get slapped with a month or two then u should still vote etc... it should be weighed up with seriousness of crime too and length of sentence and when the sentence was done...
jmac
Posted on 14-09-2014 15:35 | By JohnMac
On remand prisoners perhaps but otherwise of course not.
Not at All
Posted on 14-09-2014 18:44 | By carpedeum
I can think of NO circumstances that a criminal should be allowed to vote.Fully agree with bogside's point of view
Overit
Posted on 14-09-2014 20:08 | By overit
No way. You lose this priviledge if you break the Law.
1984
Posted on 15-09-2014 14:12 | By mouldy
Prisoners should be allowed to vote. It maybe draconian laws that have placed them in prison and they should have the demorcratic right to help change them. How can you expect people to respect laws if they are not allowed to influence their creation or abolition.
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