Key Takeaways:

• The Supreme Court has declined to review Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for felons, maintaining a controversial law from the Jim Crow era.
• This decision affects an estimated 50,000 individuals in Mississippi who have completed their sentences but still cannot vote, with a disproportionate impact on Black residents.
• Mississippi is one of the few states that permanently disenfranchises first-time offenders of nonviolent felonies, raising concerns over civil rights.
• Civil rights advocates argue that the law is rooted in racism and that the process to restore voting rights is incredibly difficult.
• The ruling has sparked dissent from some justices, who criticize the law's discriminatory origins and its harsh impact on civil participation.

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has decided not to review Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for individuals convicted of certain felonies, a law that dates back to the 1890s. With this decision, the court has left in place a Jim Crow-era provision that many believe racially discriminates against Black residents, who make up around 38% of Mississippi's population.

The state's constitutional ban, outlined in Section 241, disallows voting for those who have committed felonies, including forgery and non-violent crimes. Lawyers representing affected individuals argue that this "harsh and often arbitrary" disenfranchisement is a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, as well as the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law. Moreover, it perpetuates disenfranchisement that disproportionately impacts Black citizens, as noted by Reuters.

The challenge faced an uphill battle in the courts, with a divided panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously attributing its legitimacy to a 1974 Supreme Court ruling that upheld states' rights to impose such laws. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's dissent pointed to the law's discriminatory origins, expressing concern about its ongoing repercussions on Black voting rights in Mississippi.

Those wishing to restore their voting rights in Mississippi must either receive a pardon from the governor or achieve approval from two-thirds of the state legislature—an exceptionally rare occurrence. Reports indicate that from 2013 to 2018, this process was only successful 18 times, underscoring the stringent barriers faced by those disenfranchised.

As more than 29,000 individuals impacted by this law have completed their sentences, the call for reform grows louder. Voting rights advocates argue that Mississippi's policy is an outlier compared to other states, where measures have increasingly favored the restoration of rights for those who have served their time, in stark contrast to Mississippi's stringent measures. Observers point out that as of 2024, 26 states have expanded voting rights for felons, echoing a growing trend towards inclusivity in democratic processes.

The recent Supreme Court decision has reignited discussions about voting rights and civil participation in the U.S., as advocacy for reform continues among various civil rights groups.

For further details, read the full articles on USA Today and Reuters.