THE LAST SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT - VOTING-RIGHTS FOR PERSONS WITH COGNITIVEAND EMOTIONAL DISABILITIES

Although voting is recognized as a fundamental right, constitutional a nd legislative reforms have been necessary to prevent stales from excl uding certain individuals from voting based on their race, previous se rvitude, class, and gender. Most states, however, still exclude from v oting one group of citizens-those who have cognitive and emotional imp airments. This article addresses the political and legal arguments for suffrage for these individuals. It further argues that these provisio ns are unconstitutional, and proposes reforms consistent with constitu tional requirements for protecting basic rights.