THE NEBRASKA SUPREME COURT HAS RULED THAT ELECTIONS OFFICIALS MUST ALLOW NEBRASKANS WITH PAST FELONY CONVICTIONS TO VOTE.
THE DECISION STEMS FROM A LAWSUIT CHALLENGING NEBRASKA SECRETARY OF STATE ROBERT EVNEN’S DIRECTIVE ORDERING COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICIALS TO REFUSE TO REGISTER NEBRASKANS WITH PAST FELONY CONVICTIONS.
THE STATE’S HIGH COURT ORDERED EVNEN AND COUNTY OFFICIALS TO REVERSE COURSE. NEBRASKANS WITH FELONY CONVICTIONS WHO HAVE COMPLETED ALL TERMS OF THEIR SENTENCE WILL BE NOW ABLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IMMEDIATELY SO LONG AS THEY ARE OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE.
FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, NEBRASKANS WITH PAST FELONY CONVICTIONS HAD BEEN ABLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE AND VOTE TWO YEARS AFTER COMPLETING ALL TERMS OF THEIR SENTENCE.
THIS APRIL, AN OVERWHELMING BIPARTISAN MAJORITY OF STATE SENATORS ENDED THE TWO-YEAR WAITING PERIOD.
THREE MONTHS LATER, JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE THAT LAW WAS SET TO GO INTO EFFECT, NEBRASKA ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE HILGERS ISSUED AN OPINION ARGUING THAT ONLY NEBRASKA’S BOARD OF PARDONS HAS THE POWER TO RESTORE VOTING RIGHTS.
EVNEN THEN ORDERED COUNTY OFFICIALS TO STOP LETTING NEBRASKANS WITH PAST FELONY CONVICTIONS REGISTER TO VOTE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH TIME HAD PASSED SINCE THEY COMPLETED THEIR SENTENCE.
WEDNESDAY’S DECISION ORDERS OFFICIALS TO IMMEDIATELY COMPLY WITH NEBRASKA’S NEW VOTER RESTORATION LAW.
ELIGIBLE NEBRASKANS WITH PAST FELONY CONVICTIONS WHO HAVE NOT YET REGISTERED MUST DO SO AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 18TH ONLINE REGISTRATION DEADLINE AND THE OCTOBER 25TH DEADLINE TO REGISTER IN PERSON.
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