Mississippi Lawmakers Restore Voting Rights for 32 Felons, But More Work Needed

Mississippi lawmakers took steps to restore voting rights to 32 people convicted of felonies. However, a broader bill that would have restored suffrage to more people with criminal records failed, highlighting the state’s piecemeal and discriminatory approach to disenfranchisement. The Jim Crow-era list of disenfranchising crimes has been challenged in court, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld it in 2022. Despite lawmakers acknowledging the flaws in the current system, they are only considering restoring voting rights to a limited number of individuals who have completed their sentences and rehabilitation.

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