On Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld a state law that restores voting rights for felons once they’ve completed their prison sentences.
According to the Associated Press, the law was railroaded by Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz, a radical leftist who was just selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate (via AP):
The court rejected a challenge from the conservative Minnesota Voters Alliance. A lower court judge had previously thrown out the group’s lawsuit after deciding it lacked the legal standing to sue and failed to prove that the Legislature overstepped its authority when it voted to expand voting rights for people who were formerly incarcerated for a felony. The high court agreed.
Reportedly, before the law was enacted, felons had to complete their probation before they could regain their eligibility to vote. An estimated 55,000 people with felony records gained the right to vote as a result.
“Democracy is not guaranteed — it is earned by protecting and expanding it,” Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement. “I’m proud restore the vote is definitively the law of the land today more than 20 years after I first proposed it as a state legislator. I encourage all Minnesotans who are eligible to vote to do so and to take full part in our democracy.”
In a video message, Ellison praised the ruling.
“This is an extremely important decision. It’s a democracy decision. It’s an inclusion decision, and I couldn’t be happier,” Ellison said. “You can vote, and you can make your mark and give your say so on the governance of our society. And that’s a big deal.”
Fantastic news: the Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Restore the Vote Act, which restored voting rights to 55,000 people in our state.
— Keith Ellison (@keithellison) August 8, 2024
This is a great day for democracy. I encourage all eligible voters to celebrate by getting out and voting in our August 13… pic.twitter.com/NCuDLfFyqE
According to The Hill, 23 states allow people convicted of felonies to vote as soon as they are released from custody. Two states and Washington, D.C., allow them to vote while in prison.