[JURIST] Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear [official website] on Tuesday signed [press release] an executive order [document, PDF] that automatically restores voting rights and the right to hold public office to certain offenders after their sentences have been satisfied. The order, which excludes those convicted of violent crimes, sex crimes, bribery, and treason, was applauded [NYT report] by advocates for criminal justice reform who say that these measures are more in line with how other states handle voting rights. Proponents also agree that this order is more consistent with a current trend in the US to ease voting restrictions on convicted felons. Beshear stated:

The right to vote is one of the most intrinsically American privileges, and thousands of Kentuckians are living, working and paying taxes in the state but are denied this basic right. Once an individual has served his or her time and paid all restitution, society expects them to reintegrate into their communities and become law-abiding and productive citizens. A key part of that transition is the right to vote.

Kentucky was just one of three states that imposed a lifetime ban on felons voting.

Voting rights have been a contentious issue in the US recently. Earlier this month the US Department of Justice announced [JURIST report] that it had reached an agreement with Alabama, under which Alabama has committed to comply with US laws requiring motor vehicle agencies to register eligible voters. Last month a North Carolina Superior Court judge refused [JURIST report] to dismiss a case challenging the state’s new voter identification requirement. In May the New Hampshire Supreme Court struck down [JURIST report] a 2012 law requiring voters to be state residents, not just domiciled in the state. In March the US Supreme Court denied certiorari [JURIST report] in Frank v. Walker, allowing Wisconsin’s voter ID law to stand. Wisconsin’s Act 23, which requires residents to present photo ID to vote, was struck down by a federal district court but reinstated [JURIST report] by the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit last year.