On 16 Oct 2024 Nebraskas highest court confirmed a law that lets former felons vote once theyve finished their sentences. This decision goes against Robert Evnen the Republican Secretary of State who said the law broke the states rules.
The court told Evnen to put the law in place right away. This could mean thousands more people can vote in the big election on 5 Nov 2024. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) helped two Nebraskans with felony records sue Evnen after he told voting officials not to sign up felons to vote in July.
Before this new law‚ Nebraska let felons vote two years after they finished their time. Evnen said he was following what Mike Hilgers the Republican Attorney General thought: that only the Board of Pardons could give felons back their right to vote not the lawmakers.
The seven judges didnt agree with this idea. Some even said Evnen was wrong for not following the states law. Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman wrote “Do we want to live in a world where every state employee who has a hunch a statute is flawed gets to ignore it?“
Evnen said his office would do what the court said and told voting officials to start letting felons sign up to vote. Jonathan Topaz a lawyer with the ACLU said Evnens actions couldve stopped thousands from voting: “We are grateful the Nebraska Supreme Court invalidated this lawless attempt to reinstate permanent felony disenfranchisement“
About half of US states dont let felons vote either forever or for a while after they finish their sentences. People who dont like this say its not fair and affects Black and Latino people more because theyre more likely to go to jail.
Nebraska has only five electoral votes for president but its special. Unlike other states (except Maine) it splits those votes by area. In a close race the part with Omaha Nebraskas biggest city could be a tie-breaker depending on how people vote in swing states.
In Aug 2024 Minnesotas top court said a law like Nebraskas was okay. A bit earlier a federal court said Mississippis rule that some felons cant vote ever was fine and not too harsh a punishment