Tennessee To Count Provisional Ballots For Felons With Voting Rights In Limbo

Tennessee To Count Provisional Ballots For Felons With Voting Rights In Limbo

Tennessee To Count Provisional Ballots For Felons With Voting Rights In Limbo

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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

Tennessee’s Election Coordinator Mark Goins announced the state will count six provisional ballots cast by convicted felons who had their voting rights restored under judges’ rulings.

The ballots were initially kept in limbo as state officials took legal action against the individuals, arguing they needed to first restore their gun rights to attain voting eligibility.  

Current Tennessee law requires a previous felon to acquire gun rights before petitioning for voting rights, as Second Amendment rights are considered fundamental to Tennessee citizenship, also a requirement for voting.

Former convicts are also required to prove they do not owe any court costs or other fees and are current with child support payments, another portion of the 2023 law that was upheld by the Tennessee Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter.

Earlier in the year, a handful of voters who had been convicted of felony offenses that mandated stripping their gun rights petitioned the court to still be eligible to restore their voting rights before the November election and had several judges side with them.

In court, Judge Thomas Brothers said, “I do believe that the case law in Tennessee is such that the right to vote can be restored without having to restore the right to bear arms.” 

As the case extended past Election Day, the individuals were instructed to still cast a ballot which would then be held provisionally until the voting statues could officially be confirmed. Goins expressed displeasure with the verdicts and reminded local officials the outcomes could still change as the state continues to defend their case.

Goins wrote, “This court order may ultimately be reversed or amended. If that happens, the voter registration may be subject to being purged.”

The restoration of felon voting rights has been a rather laborious and contentious argument with broad opposition to tying voting and gun rights together. Tennessee’s restoration process has been widely critiqued for its complexity and convoluted order of operations, which often renders the petitioner unsuccessful, and has sparked several lawsuits and rulings by various judges on individual cases.

Some members of the legislature have shown an interest in the subject, agreeing the process is too difficult to interpret and remaining open to alternative suggestions. Rep. Bud Hulsey (Dist. 2- Kingsport), desires a solution that is a, “reasonable, lawful way for somebody to get their voting rights back,” while Gov. Lee also expressed some mild support for reformation after a New York Times video exposed many of the challenges within the restoration system.

At this time, there have been no confirmed plans for a bill on the subject, but it continues to be an ongoing conversation and battle inside and out of the courtroom.

Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.

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One Response

  1. IMHO anyone prohibited from gun ownership shouldn’t be voting.
    Conversely, the rights restoration process shouldn’t involve having to hire a WAAY overpriced lawyer.

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