Tennessee officials dispute a ruling that restored voting rights to 4 people who can't have guns
Tennessee election officials are disputing a judge’s ruling that restored the voting rights of four people who can’t have guns under their specific felony offenses
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee election officials are objecting to a judge's ruling that restored the voting rights of four people who can't have guns under their specific felony offenses, citing a new state law that makes resolving gun and other “citizenship rights” of convicted felons a prerequisite to casting ballots.
The state expressed its disagreement in a court motion filed just days before the Oct. 7 voter registration deadline. With that deadline now passed for registering, chances have dimmed for the four people and others facing similar obstacles to securing the right to vote this fall.
Meanwhile, the state has not yet accepted or rejected applications from the four applicants seeking restoration of their voting rights, their attorney, Keeda Haynes, said.
“We think the order is valid as it is, and we’re going to ask (the judge) not to change it, and to order the elections division to register these individuals to vote,” Haynes said.
