Senate Committee Discusses Restoring Voting Rights For Felons

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Hundreds were expected to pack the hearing room at the State Capitol in St. Paul Thursday as the Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee discussed whether convicted felons should have their voting rights restored.

Minnesota law currently states that if someone has been convicted, he or she cannot vote until all the terms of the sentence have been completed. That includes probation, parole or conditional release.

Sen. Bobby Champion is among those seeking to change that law, in order to give convicted felons back their right to vote as soon as they're released from prison.

According to University of Minnesota statistics, 63,000 convicted felons were ineligible to vote in the 2012 elections.

"The empirical studies show that if an individual is engaged in pro social activities, their likelihood of returning to criminal activity diminishes," Champion said. "Once a person is released, they're not incarcerated, we believe they should vote."

Champion said he believes he has the bipartisan support to move this bill into law this session. However, some lawmakers have said that serious felons -- those convicted of felonies such as murder or rape -- should not ever be allowed to have their voting rights restored.

There are several other states that already restore voting rights to convicted felons upon their release from jail or prison including North Dakota, Michigan and Illinois.