U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Lifetime Voting Ban for Felons in Mississippi

The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will not hear a challenge to Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for individuals convicted of certain felonies. This law, enacted during the Jim Crow era in 1890, is considered one of the strictest in the nation. The challenge was based on claims that the ban violates the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause and the 8th Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

The lawsuit, which began in 2018, was filed by a group of six men, both Black and White, who had completed their sentences for various felonies but were denied the right to vote. The provision they contested, Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution, disqualifies individuals from voting for life regardless of the nature of their crimes, which range from serious offenses such as murder and rape to lesser ones like writing bad checks.

Numerous studies have indicated that the ban disproportionately affects Black residents, who comprise over 58% of those disenfranchised in Mississippi. According to census data, Black individuals make up approximately 38% of the state's population, highlighting systemic racial disparities in voting rights.

While the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously supported the plaintiffs' claims, a subsequent full court ruling upheld the lifetime ban. Legal and civil rights advocates criticize the law as a relic of racial discrimination that continues to exclude significant numbers of citizens from participating in the electoral process.

The Supreme Court's decision not to intervene means that the lifetime voting ban remains intact, continuing to impact the lives of many Mississippians.