ST PAUL, Minn. — An estimated 55,000 Minnesotans convicted of a felony will be able to cast a ballot next election after Governor Tim Walz signed a bill restoring their right to vote.
House File 28 provides that anyone convicted of a felony who has served and completed incarceration will have their voting privileges restored. The bill also requires officials with the Department of Corrections or judiciary system to provide written notice and a voter registration application to individuals upon their release from confinement.
It’s a change from the current system that restores voting rights only after individuals complete their entire sentence, including extended probation.
"Minnesotans who have completed time for their offenses and are living, working, and raising families in their communities deserve the right to vote," said Gov. Walz. "As a state that consistently ranks among the top three in voter turnout, Minnesota will continue to lead in the fight to protect and expand the right to vote.”
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Cedrick Frazier (D-New Hope) and widely supported by faith, labor, and community leaders and advocates.
While democrats were working to push the legislation through the House and Senate, Minnesota's Supreme Court upheld the state's ban on felons voting while serving probation, ruling that the ban does not violate equal protection provisions in the Minnesota Constitution. The new law makes that ruling moot.
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