Currently, in a number of CoE member states those individuals serving a prison sentence, with an active criminal record, and/or deprived of the right to hold public positions by a (final) court decision cannot stand for elections. While each state has a wide discretion as to how it regulates the ban on voting rights for convicted persons, here again, some aspects are important: Is it an indiscriminate denial of the right to stand for elections, or does it depend on the nature of the crime and the duration of the penalty? Is the right restored upon release from prison, or does it remain in force for a much longer period of time? Particularly, blanket denials, bans on the grounds of minor offences as well as extremely long bans on the right to be elected after completed sentence may be a cause of concern (see CDL-AD(2015)036cor).