Despite a Washington State Supreme Court decision, Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, says voting rights should not be denied to those who have served their time but have been unable to pay their fines.

"While I respect the wisdom and experience of the plurality, in this matter I believe they (the court) are misguided," Kohl-Welles said. "Those who have served their sentences and followed the process to have their voting rights restored should not be denied this fundamental right over unmet financial obligations. It is not good public policy to deny the right to vote to anyone based upon monetary circumstances, while those who have the financial means can get their voting rights restored."

Kohl-Welles said withholding the right to vote serves to alienate and distance those who are eager to re-enter society as contributing and productive members and that restoring the right of felons to vote would allow the secretary of state and county elections officials to do their jobs. Right now, elections officials cannot determine with absolute accuracy who is an eligible voter.

Presently, Washington revokes the right to vote of every person who is convicted of a felony. The right to vote is restored when the person has completed all conditions of his or her sentence, including full payment of fines, penalties and restitution, and a court has confirmed that the person's right to vote should be restored.

Kohl-Welles says she intends to pursue passage of legislation she sponsored in the past session to restore voting rights.

She says 14 states and the District of Columbia automatically restore the voting rights of felons after they have completed their sentences. Two states, Maine and Vermont, never take away the right to vote upon a conviction.

"The bottom line with my bill is that people in prison would not vote, period," Kohl-Welles said. "People not in prison, after meeting residency requirements and following registration procedures, would be eligible to vote."