Voting by Felons Archives | Page 2 of 5 | American Democracy Minute

Minnesota Takes More Big Steps in Expanding and Protecting the Right to Vote, Including Passing the Minnesota Voting Rights Act

May 22, 2024May 22, 2024

May 17th, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed an omnibus democracy reform bill which included the Minnesota Voting Rights Act, on the heels of 2023’s Democracy for the People Act and restoring voting rights to 55,000 of its formerly incarcerated citizens.

Democracy News Wasn’t All Bad in 2023; MI, MN, NM, CT, PA, & NY All Passed Substantial Pro-Voter Legislation

January 4, 2024January 4, 2024

While some state legislatures are making it harder to vote, a 2023 recap from Voting Rights Lab shows a few states passed legislation to help people register to vote and to make voting more accessible to all citizens.

State and Federal Bills Propose Extending Voting Rights to the Currently and Formerly Incarcerated, Following Minnesota and New Mexico in 2023

December 18, 2023December 18, 2023

Allowing the currently or formerly incarcerated the right to vote has been a political football for decades. But attitudes are shifting, and at the state and federal level, pro-voter legislation aims to re-enfranchise Americans both in and out of prison.

Virginia’s Governor Ended Automatic Voting Rights Restoration for 12,000 Returning Felons this Year. A State Error Almost Disenfranchised 3,400 More.

November 5, 2023November 13, 2023

News broke recently that the State of Virginia mistakenly revoked voting rights for 270 formerly incarcerated felons whose rights had previously been restored. An investigation shows that number has ballooned to 3,400 Virginians.

Federal Court Strikes Down Mississippi Constitutional Provision With Racist History Keeping 11% of Its Population from Voting

August 20, 2023December 30, 2023

Mississippi has the highest percentage of voting-age citizens who are not able to vote due to past felony convictions. In early August, a federal court struck down the responsible Jim Crow provision in Mississippi’s constitution, citing “cruel and unusual punishment.”