Five states will vote in a month on ending slavery in the United States

Five U.S. states will ask their citizens to vote whether or not they are in favor of abolishing slavery, according to the DailyMail.

Forced labor has been almost non-existent in the United States since the 13e amendment in 1865, but some people may do so when convicted of a crime.

Residents of Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont will have to vote on that issue in the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

Vermont was the first state to ban this practice in 1777, but forced labor can still be used to pay off a debt.

According to several Americans, including Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the right to exploit criminals in prison encourages discrimination.

About 800,000 prisoners in the United States are forced to work for only 50 cents per hour.


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