**(CBS DETROIT) — **A 61-year-old Farmington Hills man faces multiple criminal charges after he allegedly assaulted a female postal carrier Thursday evening upon receiving a flyer in the mail featuring Vice President Kamala Harris.
Investigators say Russell Frank Valleau was allegedly upset about receiving the particular piece of mail and told the postal carrier that he did not want that “Black b****” in his mailbox. He’s accused of yelling derogatory, racist and sexual remarks about Harris and the carrier, calling the postal carrier a “Black b****” and lunging at her with a knife.
The postal carrier used pepper spray on Valleau to stop the attack. Farmington Hills police later arrested him in a neighbor’s yard.
I’d never really thought about this, but I know felons can’t vote, but what about if you are in jail awaiting charges? How does that work?
Just getting access to a ballot seems like a challenge. Don’t you have to request an absentee ballot in advance? If you are in jail, you don’t go to the polls obviously.
Did this guy just screw himself out of a vote?
Possibly. He probably could vote by mail if he thinks to request a ballot, but he might think he’ll be out by election day, or he might not trust mail ballots thanks to the Fanta Menace demonizing them.
BTW, the thing with felons voting is state by state, so it’s not a universal thing. Some states allow felons to vote once they’ve completed their sentence, and I think there’s even a couple that allow felons to vote from prison.
Generally you need a final entry of judgment for that type of penalty to apply. So, you lose you’re franchise after sentencing. Absentee voting is possible, but most people are not held indefinitely in jail pending their court appearances.