Nebraska lawmakers have advanced legislation that would restore voting rights to felons immediately upon completion of their sentence.
Currently state law bars those with felony convictions from voting for two years after completion of their sentence, including parole. The bill, LB20, advanced through first round of debate Wednesday, would eliminate this waiting period.
Nebraska is the only state that attaches an “arbitrary” waiting period before voting rights are restored after a person’s sentence is complete, Wayne said. LB20, which Wayne introduced last session, would simply do away with that “additional penalty,” he added.
In 2022, an estimated 4.6 million Americans were barred from voting due to a felony conviction — according to The Sentencing Project, a non-partisan research and advocacy center working for decarceration in the United States.
“At the end of the day, when you have completed your sentence – when you are done – you should be able to participate in our society fully and completely,” Wayne said. Chair of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, agreed.
Sen. Robert Clements of Elmwood opposed the measure. Given that the state once imposed a lifetime ban, he said, two years is a reasonable amount of time for someone to wait before regaining their right to vote.
The bill advanced to a second round of debate with bipartisan support from lawmakers 34-3, with 2 present-not voting, and 10 excused-not voting.