The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld a law from 2023 on Wednesday that lets people who have been convicted of crimes vote once they get out of jail. This decision could affect more than 50,000 Minnesotans just one month before early voting starts in the state for the November election.
The conservative Minnesota Voters Alliance tried to question the law, but the court said they didn’t have the right to do so because they didn’t show that the law went beyond what the state legislature could do.
About 55,000 people in the state who have been convicted of a felony and are on probation or parole will be able to vote under the 2023 law. In the past, people who had been accused of a crime had to finish probation or parole before they could vote.
Keith Ellison, the Democratic attorney general of Minnesota, praised the decision and said that he first proposed a bill to let people with felonies vote when he was in the state House in 2003.
“This is a really important choice.” It was decided by voting. Ellison said in a video message Wednesday, “I couldn’t be happier. It’s an inclusion decision.”
“So there’s a big election on August 13.” “There will be an even bigger election on November 5th, and you can run for office,” he said. “You have the right to vote, make your mark, and have your say in how our society is run.” That’s a big deal.
“So a 20-year battle and a year-and-a-half in court, but it shows that you can win if you don’t give up,” he said. “Go vote, and tell everyone in your family to do the same.” Today is great. Today is a day of freedom and independence, and we should celebrate.
The Movement Advancement Project says that since the decision on Wednesday, 23 states, or about half of the country, let people who have been convicted of a felony vote as soon as they are free. They can vote while they are in jail in two states and Washington, D.C.
In the past year, people with crimes have been able to vote in more states. For example, in April, a judge in North Carolina overturned a law that made it hard for them to vote. But similar court challenges in Mississippi and Nebraska went the other way, upholding laws that limited their right to vote.
Since former President Trump was found guilty of felonies earlier this year, the idea of letting people with felonies vote and run for office has become more common.
In a poll done in June, 58% of GOP voters said that people who have been convicted of crimes should be able to run for president. In April, only 17% of Republicans thought that way.