Fifth Circuit Interprets Poorly-Worded Clause of Mississippi Constitution to Not Permit Felons to Vote for President

On February 25, the 5th circuit construed Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution. That section is written with confusing sentence construction. Plaintiffs had argued that it seems to say that felons can vote in presidential elections, but the Court read it another way. Here is the decision, Young v Hosemann, 08-60941.

Section 241 says, “Qualification for Electors. Every inhabitant of this state, except idiots and insane persons, who is a citizen of the United States of America, 18 years old and upward, who has been a resident of this state for one year, and for one year in the county in which he offers to vote, and for 6 months in the election precinct or in the incorporated city or town in which he offers to vote, and who is duly registered as provided in this article, and who has never been convicted of murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement or bigamy, is declared to be a qualified elector, except that he shall be qualified to vote for President and Vice President of the United States if he meets the requirements established by Congress therefor and is otherwise a qualified elector.”

The Hill Speculates that Governor Charlie Crist of Florida May Run as an Independent for the Senate

The Hill has this story, speculating that Florida Governor Charlie Crist may yet decide to run for the U.S. Senate this year as an independent, instead of as a Republican. The article has an allusion to Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, but that seems off-the-subject, because Specter switched directly from Republican to Democratic, and was never an independent. Thanks to Ken Rudin for the link.