Mpls. H.S. Students To March In Support Of Voting Rights Bill

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Some Minneapolis high school students are planning walk-outs and marches Wednesday in support of the voting rights bill.

The bill, proposed in the state legislature, would restore voting rights to felons after they are released from prison.

However, not everyone supports the idea.

On Tuesday the Minnesota Senate passed a bill that said felons should be able to vote right after the completion of their sentence.

Democrats pushed for this legislation. But, several Republicans are against the plan.

As the law stands now, a felon cannot vote until they have finished serving their probation or parole.

If "Senate File" 355 becomes law, an estimated 47,000 Minnesotans would get their voting rights restored sooner. This idea was debated last year too, but it did not win final approval.

Supporters of changing the law said it would give people who have committed crimes a second chance. They argue it could also improve voter turnout among African Americans, as blacks make up a disproportionate share of the prison population compared with the state's overall population.

On the other hand, opponents of the bill said people who have committed felonies have disenfranchised themselves.

On Wednesday afternoon, Minneapolis public high school students are holding a massive "Restore the Vote" rally at 2 p.m. at Martin Luther King Park.

Their demonstration has the support of the Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter and several other outreach organizations.

Under the current wording of the bill, people in work release programs would not be able to vote.

If a person is in work release, or any other program where they spends a portion of the day in prison or jail, that is considered incarceration and would need to be completed before voting rights are restored.