Fifth Circuit Sets Oral Argument Date in Lawsuit Involving Ex-Felon Voting Rights

All the full-time judges of the Fifth Circuit will hear Harness v Hosemann, 19-60632, on September 22, 2021. This is the case challenging Mississippi’s ban on ex-felon voting. The original panel had upheld the law, but then the entire set of full-time judges in the Fifth Circuit had decided to rehear the case. Bans on ex-felon disenfranchisement are unconstitutional if the evidence shows that the ban was motivated by a desire to injure a particular racial or ethnic minority.


Comments

Fifth Circuit Sets Oral Argument Date in Lawsuit Involving Ex-Felon Voting Rights — 18 Comments

  1. Everyone over 18 years of age who is a U S citizen (the U S government claims jurisdiction over them) and, if conscious, should have the right to vote.
    Can a Health Directive transfer the right to proxy vote on behalf of the unconscious – or does unconsciousness deprive one of citizenship?

  2. When a person breaks the law and serves a sentence (which is repayment to society) they should have all liberties restored and previous convictions shouldn’t even be asked on job applications un less its job involving security.

  3. People can also vote while still in prison. Only two US States allow it, but lots of other countries do.

  4. It seems to me that if they actually pay taxes, they should be allowed to vote. No taxation without representation.

  5. How many convict folks based on FALSE *evidence* —

    esp in baaade olde slave States ???

  6. Even of they were guilty it shouldn’t have anything to do with their right to vote. And many crimes shouldn’t even be crimes to begin with, let’s not forget.

  7. @DFR,

    Washington provides detailed reports of submitted ballots. There are always a couple of ballots that were voted using power of attorney and rejected for that reason.

  8. MODEL STATE CONSTITUTION, 6 AUG 2021
    MAJOR REFORMS:

    1. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION IN LEGISLATIVE BODIES

    2. NONPARTISAN EXECUTIVES/JUDGES

    3. TOTAL SEPARATION OF POWERS

    ******* [SPACING ADDED]

    Sec. 1. (1) Elections shall only be held on [date] of each year [, except for recall elections]).

    (2) Each Elector shall be a Citizen of the United States and 18 or more years old on an election day and be registered to vote in his/her election precinct by [28] days before an election day and have the right to vote with a secret ballot in all elections in such precinct.

    (3) Each such Citizen not having a residence in the state shall be registered in the state capitol.

    (4) If a new area becomes a part of the state, then the registered Electors in such area [91] days after it becomes a part of the state shall be deemed to have voted in the last regular election [for governor].

    (5) All election laws shall be general and exist by [210] days before the election day.

    (6) All petitions signed by Electors shall be secret as with secret ballots.

    (7) All elections shall only use mail paper ballots with pre-paid costs to and from the Electors.

    (8) Ballots shall be mailed out by [21] days before the election day.

  9. Maine and Vermont allow prisoners to vote while serving time in prison. I haven’t seen them legalizing rape or murder or anything like that. What are you afraid of?

  10. “European countries that allow inmates to vote (as of 2012) include Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.”

    You can find more search results yourself.

    Of course, many US states allow parolees to vote, and even more allow those who have been released from parole to vote. Former slave/Jim Crow states are in the lead among those which impose the most and most permanent felon voting bans. It’s a part of their long term push for inequitable vote suppression and disenfranchisement.

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