Past felony convictions keep almost 400,000 in Tennessee from voting

Tens of thousands of Tennesseans with felony convictions are unable to vote in the Nov. 5 General Election.

Research by The Sentencing Project shows more than 399,000 Tennesseans are among the 4 million Americans affected by felony disenfranchisement.

Nicole D. Porter, senior director of advocacy with The Sentencing Project, said Tennessee continues to marginalize people post-incarceration, mainly due to its complex process to restore their rights. She noted there are several options for restoring rights but few manage to overcome the obstacles involved.

“People have to submit applications for their rights restoration. They have to seek a pardon for their rights restoration,” Porter outlined. “In order to be eligible, it’s not just automatic eligibility but people have to satisfy fines and fees, and in those fees, include being current on child support payments.”





https://heartlandsignal.com/2024/10/23/past-felony-convictions-keep-almost-400000-in-tennessee-from-voting/