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felons

Tennessee’s voter restoration process is now before a federal court

Marianna Bacallao

January 16, 2025

A federal appeals court will soon decide on the future of voting restoration in Tennessee. Here’s what arguments it heard.

Filed Under: Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: Attorney General, Campaign Legal Center, disenfranchisement, felons, felony conviction, Free Hearts, NAACP, Tennessee State Election Commission, voter registration in Tennessee, Voters, voting, voting rights

Tennessee elections aren’t competitive. That’s not the only reason voter turnout is so low.

Marianna Bacallao

October 8, 2024

Tennessee is in the bottom five states when it comes to voter turnout. A new report finds that state policy makes voting harder for communities of color and disabled voters.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: disenfranchisement, Elections 2024, felons, felony conviction, voter registration in Tennessee, Voters, voting, voting rights

Nashville judge rules against a controversial Tennessee voting restriction

Marianna Bacallao

September 9, 2024

Listen

A Nashville judge has restored the voting rights of four people in Davidson County, dissenting from a contentious state requirement.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: Campaign Legal Center, disenfranchisement, Elections 2024, felons, felony conviction, Free Hearts, voter registration in Tennessee, Voters, voting, voting rights

Tennessee inflicts a strict voter re-registration process on formerly incarcerated people. A trial will determine if it’s constitutional.

Blaise Gainey

August 11, 2023

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Across America around 4.6 million formerly incarcerated people are barred from voting. And in Tennessee, a recent state Supreme Court ruling makes it harder for anyone with a conviction on their record — either in or out of state — to get their voting rights reinstated.

Filed Under: Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: Campaign Legal Center, disenfranchisement, felons, Free Hearts, voter registration in Tennessee, Voters, voting, voting rights

NAACP Sues Tennessee Over ‘Unequal’ Voting Rights Restoration For People With Felony Convictions

Samantha Max

December 7, 2020

vote line Nashville
Listen

The NAACP has sued the state of Tennessee to challenge its voting laws. They argue it’s too difficult for residents who have been convicted of a felony to get their voting rights back.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: Bill Lee, felons, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Tony Parker, voting

Report: Number Of Tennesseans Barred From Voting For Felony Conviction On The Rise

Samantha Max

October 14, 2020

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The number of Tennesseans who can’t vote because of a felony conviction has risen since 2016 — despite a national trend in the opposite direction — according to a new national report released today.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, WPLN News Tagged With: Election 2020, felons, voting

Nashville Nonprofit Helps Formerly Incarcerated Tennesseans Regain Their Voting Rights

Samantha Max

October 5, 2020

Listen

After two years of paperwork and phone calls and visits to countless government buildings, Milton Thomas was about ready to give up. But outside the Davidson County Election Commission Monday, Thomas was all smiles. A local nonprofit had paid off his court debt, just in time for the deadline to register to vote.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, WPLN News Tagged With: Election 2020, felons, Howard Gentry, Keeda Haynes, voting

Bipartisan Lawmakers Make Impassioned Plea To Reduce Job Barriers For Felons in Tennessee

Julieta Martinelli

February 13, 2018

Listen A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to change a law that blocks people with criminal records from getting licensed for certain jobs.

Filed Under: WPLN News Tagged With: felons, Tennessee Legislature

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