Minnesota Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Voting Rights for Felons on Probation

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

Challengers argued that the new law was unconstitutional because it returns voting rights to felons on release, before civil rights are returned.

The Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld a 2023 state law returning voting rights to Minnesotans with felony convictions immediately after their release from prison.

In its Aug. 7 ruling, the stateโ€™s highest court did not comment on the merits of the law but rejected a challenge from the nonpartisan organization Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA), alongside four citizen plaintiffs.

The court agreed with a previous lower court decision that found the group and individuals lacked legal standing to challenge the measure and had failed to prove that the Legislature overstepped its authority when it voted to extend voting rights to individuals who are out of jail but still on probation for a felony.

The legislation, House File 28 or the โ€œRestore the Voteโ€ bill, was signed into law by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzโ€”whom Vice President Kamala Harris announced this week as her running mateโ€”in March last year.

It returned the right to vote for convicted felons who have completed their term of incarceration, including those who remain on parole or probation, and required the Department of Corrections or judiciary system officials to inform the convicted felons in writing that they were able to vote upon their release.

The measure maintained that incarcerated individuals would not be able to vote.

At the time Walz signed the bill into law, he said it would likely apply to more than 55,000 convicted felons in the state who have completed their prison terms, thus allowing them to vote immediately.

The measure marked the largest expansion of voting rights in Minnesota in a half-century, as previously convicted felons had to wait until the completion of their probation period to be able to vote again.

While the bill was set to go into effect on July 1, 2023, it was quickly challenged by the MVA, who argued in a lawsuit filed in Anoka County District Court that the law violates the state Constitution.

The group pointed to Article VII, Section 1 of the Minnesota Constitution, which requires that a felon may be โ€œentitled or permitted to vote at any election in this stateโ€ only after they have been โ€œrestored to civil rights.โ€

They argued the law was unconstitutional because it returns a felonโ€™s right to vote before their civil rights are returned, or before the felon has been โ€œrelieved of all limitations and burdens, such as parole and restitution, placed on them by the court-imposed sentence.โ€

Byย Katabella Roberts

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Roger Stone Speaks About Trump at Turning Point USA

Longtime Donald Trump friend, Roger Stone, gave a speech at the 2025 TPUSA convention offering his take on the recent Epstein List controversy.

Dredging the Swamp For CNN RINOs

Epstein ran a multinational child sex trafficking ring to service and entrap political and business elites to blackmail and to usurp democratic governance.

Trump Turned His Head And Saved America

It was a turn of President Trump's head to view an immigration chart that saved his life. It was Divine intervention, God saved Trump so he could save America.

AI: A Double-Edged Sword?

AI produces innovation, revolutionizing industries from education to entertainment, yet AI tools also cause a gradual decline in human cognitive skills.

Why is the Epstein Victim List Longer than the Client List?

Bondi said her responsibility is to protect identities of underage girls sexually abused by Epstein, but a good number of victims have come forward.

A Year After Trump Rally Shooting, Town Still Seeks Healing, Answers

A western PA community has rallied around the family of Corey Comperatore who was fatally shot when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally.

5 States Discussing Plans to Build Prisons Like โ€˜Alligator Alcatrazโ€™: Noem

Homeland Security Sec Kristi Noem said five Republican-led states were discussing plans to build detention sites similar to Floridaโ€™s โ€œAlligator Alcatraz.โ€

Wyoming Opens Dual Mine: Coal for Power, Rare Earths for Everything Else

Brook Mine will be the first new coal mine to open in Wyoming in 50 years and first critical mineral and rare earth mine to open in the US in 70 years.

Los Angeles Mayor Signs Order Reaffirming Sanctuary City Policy, Proposes Cash Aid to Illegal Immigrants

LA Mayor Karen Bass has issued an executive directive reaffirming the cityโ€™s self-proclaimed sanctuary status in response to ongoing ICE operations.

EU Wonโ€™t Retaliate to Trumpโ€™s 30 Percent Tariff, Countermeasures on Hold Until August

EC President Ursula von der Leyen said EU will extend suspension on countermeasures to U.S. tariffs until next month while trade negotiations continue.

Trump Announces 30 Percent Tariff on EU, Mexico

President Donald Trump has announced a 30 percent tariff on imports from the European Union and Mexico, to go into effect on Aug. 1, 2025.

Tariff Windfall Drives Surprise $27 Billion US Budget Surplus in June

New data from Treasury Dept show that surging tariff revenues in June helped U.S. government post an unexpected budget surplus of $27 billion.

State Department Says Reorganization Plan to Move Ahead Quickly After Supreme Court Ruling

State Dept to reorganize plans following Supreme Court's allowing Trump admin to proceed with layoffs of fed workers and overhaul of federal agencies.
spot_img

Related Articles