The Nebraska Supreme Court issued a ruling Wednesday ordering elections officials to comply state law and and let Nebraskans with past felony convictions vote.
The decision stems from a lawsuit challenging Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen’s directive ordering county elections officials to defy state law by refusing to register Nebraskans with past felony convictions.
For nearly 20 years, former felons had been able to register to vote and cast a ballot two years after completing all terms of their sentence, with the waiting period removed in April by state lawmakers.
As a result of the 5 to 2 decision to issue a writ of mandamus, Nebraskans with felony convictions who have completed all terms of their sentence will be able to register to vote immediately so long as they are otherwise eligible.
Jane Seu, legal and policy counsel at the ACLU of Nebraska, was quoted in a statement saying “This is justice. Given the sheer scale of disenfranchisement that this decision corrects, there is no question that it will be remembered as one of our state’s most consequential voting rights decisions. For Nebraskans who have been caught up in this mess for the last few months, the key takeaway is this: if you are done with all terms of your sentence, you are eligible to vote, and there is now a court decision backing that up. Now is the time to know your rights, get registered and make a plan to vote.”
Those who have not yet registered must do so ahead of quickly approaching deadlines of Oct. 18 for online registration, and Oct. 25 to register in person.
