Mississippi Felon Voting Ban Upheld by Appeals Court

A federal appeals court ruled that Mississippi legislators, not the judiciary, must decide whether to change the state's practice of disenfranchising felons, a policy rooted in the Jim Crow era. Despite arguments that the policy is cruel and unusual, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the state's constitutional right to disenfranchise individuals convicted of certain felonies. The court emphasized that any changes must be achieved through legislative processes rather than judicial intervention. Mississippi residents convicted of specific felonies, including nonviolent offenses, are permanently barred from voting unless legislative changes occur.