The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the state's attorney general does not have the authority to disenfranchise residents with felony criminal records, which means thousands of new voters will be eligible for the November election. This is an important decision in which a person may be able to participate, and ultimately has a decisive influence on its outcome.
The court's unanimous decision restores the right of Nebraskans with felony convictions to vote at the end of their sentences and eliminates the two-year waiting period that has been in place for the past 20 years.
The ruling came months after the Nebraska Superior Court heard arguments in a lawsuit seeking to restore voting rights to residents with felony convictions in the state.
Lawmakers included new voting rights provisions in state law LB20 earlier this year. But that right was overridden by Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evenen and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who ruled that the law violated the Nebraska Constitution and its separation of powers. Under the Act, only the State Board of Pardons had authority. to restore such rights.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska is calling for the decision to be reversed, saying it could restrict up to 7,000 residents in the state from voting in the November election. A lawsuit was immediately filed.
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Pedestrians pass in front of the Nebraska State Capitol on October 26, 2023 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The court declined Wednesday to consider the merits of the case.
Rather, the judges simply said that Mr. Hilgers and Mr. Evenen had not met the burden of proof necessary to define the law as “unconstitutional,” and that Mr. Evenen “imposed disqualifications not covered by LB20.” “Delete everything you have done,” he ordered.
Evnen said in a statement that his office was “adhering to the requirements of the decision” and agreed to comply.
“We are working with counties across the state to ensure that those eligible to register to vote under LB 20 do so,” he added.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska on Wednesday praised the court's decision and urged all voters to check their registration status to ensure eligibility.
The court's decision comes at a critical time for Nebraska, with the voter registration deadline ending in just a week.
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A unanimous Nebraska Supreme Court ruling opens voting to thousands of former felons in the Cornhusker State just weeks before Election Day. (St. Petersburg)
It could also have a major impact on election outcomes, including close presidential races and close voting races in Congress.
Nebraska 2nd Congressional District Something is wrong. Part of the reason is due to its unique system of allocating Electoral College votes. Although Nebraska is a Republican-controlled state, it is one of only two states in the United States where electors are allocated at the district level, with the remaining two votes going to the candidate who wins a majority.
In addition to Nebraska and Maine, other states use a “winner-take-all” method of allocating electoral votes.
Additionally, that voter base is a deep purple demographic that voted for both former President Donald Trump and President Biden in the past two presidential elections, respectively. Prior to that, Sen. Mitt Romney won the district in the 2012 presidential election, and former President Barack Obama won the vote in 2008.
The negative vote race is also expected to be close.
Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer (R) faces a tough re-election battle this year, while Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is fighting Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas to keep his House seat. There is.
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With both President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris currently in a tight race, districts could have more influence than ever in determining the next president.
In such a close election, Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District “could determine who the ultimate winner is,” said Jimmy Keady, president of JLK Political Strategies, a national Republican consulting firm. he told FOX News Digital last month.
