NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A report recently published by the Tennessee Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said Tennessee is one of the most restrictive states in the country regarding voting access, and it places additional burdens on certain voters, especially those convicted of felonies, an issue some lawmakers want to see change.
According to the Sentencing Project, an estimated 470,000 Tennesseans cannot vote due to a felony conviction, denying the right to vote to more people than 49 other states.
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Most states revoke an individual’s right to vote once they’re convicted of a felony, but more than 20 states automatically restore that right upon their release from prison. However, Tennessee only allows certain convicted felons to restore their right to vote, and they have to go through what some call a complex process to do it.
After a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, the Tennessee Coordinator of Elections announced a change in state policy to require those who qualify to have their voting rights restored to either receive a pardon first or convince a judge to restore their rights of citizenship, which includes their gun rights, in order to restore their voting rights. Opponents say the process can take months to years and can often be expensive.