Lawsuit: Mississippi ‘Harsh’ In Denying Ex-Con Voting Rights

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – A federal lawsuit has its sights set on the barriers facing Mississippi’s ex-convicts when attempting to restore their voting rights.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, who filed the suit today, March 27, says the system is quote “harsh, punitive and unforgiving.”

Originally, committing one of 10 crimes could remove your voting rights, including murder and forgery.

More recently however, 12 more crimes were added to the list, like timber larceny and carjacking.

If an ex-con wanted their voting rights back, two-thirds of the legislature would have to give permission, along with the governor.

So far only 14 people have managed the task in the past 5 years.

Across the country, most states already have some form of automatic voting rights restoration.