A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has upheld a law in Mississippi that enforces lifetime disenfranchisement for convicted felons. In a closely contested en banc ruling, six of the circuit judges dissented from the majority opinion. The majority justified its decision by referencing the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1974 opinion in Richardson v. Ramirez, which expressly permits states to implement felon disenfranchisement.
“We reject that result because the U.S. Constitution cannot properly be so interpreted,” stated the court majority, emphasizing that the Equal Protection Clause does not preclude states from permanently prohibiting felons from voting. For further details on the ruling, refer to the complete analysis
here.