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“Restoration of a right that should be guaranteed”: public comments on Washington D.C.’s Restore the Vote Amendment Act

Courtney D. Tabor

Published 2025 in Argumentation and Advocacy

ABSTRACT

Abstract In 2021, Washington D.C.’s Restore the Vote Amendment Act went into effect, lifting restrictions on voting rights such that felony convictions would no longer impact a district resident’s ability to vote. Leading up to the successful passing of this law, the Washington D.C. City Council held several public hearings where interested parties could submit testimonies providing their stance on the policy. In this study, I combine quantitative data from coding messaging tools with qualitative examples from the comments to demonstrate the persuasiveness and methodical approach to crafting a public testimony. Findings indicate that public commenters rely on language that emphasizes the physical place a person is located (e.g. prisoner), extensive usage of rational appeals primarily through fact-based evidence and statistics, and reliance on framing tools such as defining the problem and making moral judgments. Additionally, I found that commenters focused on their struggle for statehood and distance from prisons to further underscore the urgency and relevancy of the cause.

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