(KMAland) -- The state Supreme Court has upheld a law giving Nebraskans with prior felony convictions the right to vote once they have completed their sentence. Proponents of the measure are calling it a hard-fought victory to restore full rights to citizens who have paid their debt to society. State lawmakers challenged a clause in the state's 1875 constitution disenfranchising people with felony convictions for life.
Steve Smith, director of communications with the group Civic Nebraska, said the ruling ends a decades-long legal battle. "Had the court ruled the underlying statute is unconstitutional, those folks would have been out of luck," said Smith. "And so, the stakes were pretty high.
In a state the size of Nebraska, that's close to 10% of the electorate. It's about 100,000 voters." Smith said eligible people must register in person by 6 p.
m. on Oct. 25 at their county's local elections office.
Smith said the ruling negates an order by the secretary of state blocking county officials from registering former felons despite a bipartisan bill that eliminated a two year waiting period for people with convictions. He said the requirements to register have been simplified. "It is fully completing your sentence.
And so, the term is 'off-papers,'" said Smith. "And most folks who have been justice-impacted understand what off-papers mean. They've served any term of incarceration.
They have completed any terms of parole, probation or supervised release, and they have not reoffen.
