The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld a law restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their prison sentences. Signed into law last year by Governor Tim Walz, who is now the Democratic vice presidential candidate, this legislation allows felons to vote once they are out of prison, even if they are still on parole or probation. However, those currently incarcerated are not permitted to vote in Minnesota.
In its unanimous decision, the court ruled that the Minnesota Voters Alliance, a conservative group that challenged the law, lacked the legal standing to do so. The group’s founder, Doug Seaton, expressed disappointment, stating that the ruling avoided addressing the constitutional issues he believed the law presented.
Governor Walz, now campaigning as the running mate to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, was on the campaign trail in Wisconsin and Michigan when the ruling was announced.
The law has faced criticism from Republican circles, with the campaign of Donald Trump criticizing Walz’s support for the legislation. Interestingly, Trump, who was convicted of 34 felonies in New York this year, would still be allowed to vote under similar laws in New York and Minnesota, provided he is not incarcerated at the time of the election. Trump has claimed his innocence and suggested that the charges against him are part of a broader Democratic conspiracy.
The ruling marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over voting rights and the reintegration of former felons into society.
