Bill Text: MS SB2155 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Suffrage; clarify person's right to register and vote following a disenfranchising conviction.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2020-03-03 - Died In Committee [SB2155 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2020-SB2155-Introduced.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2020 Regular Session

To: Elections

By: Senator(s) Barnett

Senate Bill 2155

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-19, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THE RIGHT OF A CONVICTED FELON TO REGISTER AND VOTE IF THE RIGHT TO VOTE HAS BEEN RESTORED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 23-15-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     23-15-19.  (1)  Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, any person who has been convicted of vote fraud or any crime listed in Section 241, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, such crimes defined as "disenfranchising," shall not be registered, or if registered the name of the person shall be removed from the Statewide Elections Management System by the registrar or the election commissioners of the county of his or her residence.  Whenever any person shall be convicted in the circuit court of his or her county of a disenfranchising crime, the county registrar shall thereupon remove his or her name from the Statewide Elections Management System; and whenever any person shall be convicted of a disenfranchising crime in any other court of any county, the presiding judge of the court shall, on demand, certify the fact in writing to the registrar of the county in which the voter resides, who shall thereupon remove the name of the person from the Statewide Elections Management System and retain the certificate as a record of his or her office.

     (2)  A person who has been convicted of any disenfranchising crime may be registered to vote and may exercise the right to vote if:

          (a)  (i)  The person has been pardoned for the disenfranchising conviction under Section 124, Mississippi Constitution of 1890;

              (ii)  The conviction has been expunged under Section 99-19-71; or

              (iii)  The Legislature has restored the right of suffrage to the person under Section 253, Mississippi Constitution of 1890; and

          (b)  The person's right to register and vote has been restored as set out in paragraph (a) for all the person's  disenfranchising convictions.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

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