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The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld a law that allows individuals convicted of felonies to vote once they are released from prison.

Let’s bring you up to speed: Back in 2023, Minnesota lawmakers passed a law allowing those convicted of felonies to regain their voting rights once they completed their prison sentences, without needing to finish their probation or parole. The Minnesota Voters Alliance challenged this law, arguing that the legislature had overstepped its authority. However, a lower court dismissed the challenge due to insufficient evidence that showed legislative overreach.  

Impact: The recent ruling by the Minnesota Supreme Court will affect around 55,000 Minnesotans who previously couldn’t vote.

Minnesota AG reacts: In a statement, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, “This is an extremely important decision. It’s a democracy decision. It’s an inclusion decision, and I couldn’t be happier. So we have a big election coming up on Aug. 13. We have an even bigger election coming up on Nov. 5, and you can participate in it. 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.”

Another view: Doug Seaton, whose firm represented the Minnesota Voters Alliance, said, “We have voters whose votes are being, in effect, reduced in value because someone is being allowed to vote who, at least in our argument’s view, is not entitled to vote. That reduces the power of that vote, and so that citizen’s contributions are diminished.”