RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s law banning many people with felony records from voting after they get out of prison is unconstitutional, a state court ruled Monday.
Until now, state law allowed people with felony convictions to vote only once they finish their sentence. That didn’t only include their prison sentence — it also included probation or parole, which sometimes can last for years after someone is released from prison.
Monday’s ruling, first reported by Carolina Public Press, changes that. Now — pending a potential appeal of the ruling — people with criminal records can vote once they have rejoined society and are no longer behind bars. The judges wrote that “if a person otherwise eligible to vote is not in jail or prison for a felony conviction, they may lawfully register and vote in North Carolina.”
