Supreme Court Declines Mississippi Voting Rights Challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court chose not to review a challenge to Mississippi's lifetime voting ban on individuals convicted of certain felonies. Created in 1890, the ban disenfranchises people even after serving their sentences and disproportionately affects Black individuals. The class-action lawsuit was initially favored by an appeals court, but the decision was later overturned.

The U.S. Supreme Court has opted not to hear a challenge against Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for individuals convicted of a wide array of felonies, a law dating back to 1890 during the Jim Crow era. The restrictive policy persists as one of the nation's most stringent voting bans.

The challenge came from a 2018 class action lawsuit filed by six Mississippi men who lost voting rights despite completing sentences for various felonies, such as grand larceny and theft. The case revolves around Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution, designed to racially disenfranchise following the Civil War.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals initially ruled in favor of the lawsuit, arguing that the ban violates constitutional amendments. However, a full court review maintained the ban, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting on the decision's racial implications.

(With inputs from agencies.)