US Court Upholds Mississippi Felon Voting Ban

The en banc US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld Mississippi's provision depriving some felons of the right to vote, rejecting an Eighth Amendment challenge in a 13-6 ruling. The court emphasized that the ban is not considered a 'cruel and unusual' punishment under the US Constitution. This decision means that Mississippi legislators, not the courts, must determine changes to the state's disenfranchisement laws, affecting roughly 9% of residents. While dissenting judges argued that the ban violates the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, the majority maintained that the law is constitutional and falls within the state's authority to set voting qualifications.