Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Minnesota Public Radio – Voting rights restored to 50,000 under new Minnesota law
CNN – Minnesota governor signs bill expanding voting rights for ex-felons
Minnesota Senate – SF 26 Restore the Vote bill language
National Conference of State Legislatures – Felon Voting Rights
Restoration of Rights Project – Resources
Groups Taking Action:
ACLU MN, Restore the Vote MN Coalition, League of Women Voters MN, MN Second Chance Coalition
Today’s Script: (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Because there are so many efforts around the country to restrict the vote, our reports are often negative. Today we have a good news story from Minnesota, where as many as 55,000 more citizens can now vote.
Previous law in Minnesota prohibited incarcerated felons from voting, but also returning citizens who had been released, on parole, or some type of court-ordered supervision. With Gov. Tim Walz’s signing of the SF 26 Restore the Vote bill last week, those formerly incarcerated citizens can vote beginning July 1, 2023, even if they are on parole, and unlike some states, even if they had been convicted of a violent crime.
Minnesota becomes the 21st state to restore voting upon release of felony incarceration. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 16 other states don’t return voting rights until after parole is completed; another 11 require a pardon from a judge, board or governor, depending on the state.
While some states’ returning felon voting rights laws have been changed by legislatures, others, like Florida, have been changed by citizen ballot initiative. When rights were restored, though, some states, including Florida, added voter suppression hurdles like fee and restitution repayment, and additional waiting periods.
New Mexico and Nebraska are also considering their own returning felon legislation this year.
We have articles and resources on restoring voting rights to felons at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.