Disenfranchisement in Minnesota
On March 3, 2023, Gov. Tim Walz signed a law that automatically restores voting rights upon release from prison, effective June 1, 2023. The law restored voting rights to an estimated 55,000 people.
Legislative Efforts
On March 3, 2023, Gov. Walz signed into law HF 28, which will automatically restores voting rights to people with felony convictions on probation or parole. The legislation was passed by both chambers of Minnesota’s legislature in February, shortly after the state’s supreme court rejected a challenge to the state’s felony disenfranchisement policy. The law took effect on June 1, 2023.
Brennan Center Publications
- Restoring the Right to Vote, Erika Wood (2009)
- The Brennan Center’s policy proposal for restoring voting rights for citizens with past criminal convictions.
- My First Vote (2009)
- Testimonials of individuals who regained their voting rights after being disenfranchised because of past criminal convictions.
- De Facto Disenfranchisement, Erika Wood & Rachel Bloom (2008)
- A report on how complex laws, poorly informed officials, and misinformation lead to the de facto disenfranchisement of citizens with past criminal convictions who are eligible to vote.
- Racism & Felony Disenfranchisement: An Intertwined History, Erin Kelley (2017)
- A piece examining the historical roots of criminal disenfranchisement laws that today strip voting rights from millions of U.S. citizens.
For more information about the Brennan Center’s work on Restoring Voting Rights in Minnesota, please contact Connie Wu at wuc@brennan.law.nyu.edu.