Minnesota Supreme Court Upholds Law Restoring Voting Rights to Felons

The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld a law signed by Governor Tim Walz that restores voting rights to felons who have completed their prison terms. The ruling did not address the law's merits but decided that the challenging conservative group lacked legal standing. Governor Walz is the running mate for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld a law that restores the right to vote for felons who have completed their prison terms. The law was signed last year by Governor Tim Walz, who is also the Democratic vice-presidential candidate. The court's unanimous decision did not examine the merits of the law but ruled that the conservative group challenging it, the Minnesota Voters Alliance, did not have the legal standing to do so.

Doug Seaton, founder of the Minnesota Voters Alliance, criticized the decision, claiming it sidesteps necessary constitutional scrutiny. Walz, now running mate to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, was campaigning in Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday.

The law allows felons to vote once released from prison, regardless of parole or probation status, but incarcerated felons remain ineligible to vote. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign criticized Walz for supporting the law, despite Trump being convicted of 34 felonies in New York. Trump, a Florida resident, retains his voting rights under laws similar to Minnesota's, as long as he isn't incarcerated at the election time.

(With inputs from agencies.)