Minnesota Senate approves restoring voting rights for felons

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Senate has moved to restore voting rights to convicted felons as soon as they get out of prison instead of continuing to require them to complete their parole before they can cast a ballot. The Senate approved the “Restore the Vote” bill Tuesday (Feb. 21, 2023), less than a week after the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the state’s current restrictions and left it up to the Legislature to change them. Democrats behind the measure say it will help reintegrate former inmates — who are disproportionately people of color — back into society. Republican critics say it’s soft on crime.