Press Releases

VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY: Governor Walz Restores Voting Rights for over 55,000 Minnesotans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MARCH 3, 2023

PRESS CONTACT:
Sarah Harris, [email protected]

Minnesota Joins 22 Other States in Restoring Voting Rights For Some People With Felony Convictions

ST. PAUL — Today, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed HF 28, legislation to restore voting rights to over 55,000 Minnesotans on probation and parole. Minnesota joins 22 states in restoring voting rights for some people with felony convictions. The bill is part of Minnesota progressives’ ambitious democracy agenda for the legislative session, which also includes modernizing Minnesota’s campaign finance system and strengthening automatic voter registration.

Stand Up America’s Deputy Political Director, Reggie Thedford, commented on the passage:

“Today Governor Walz is further cementing Minnesota’s voting rights leadership. Restoring the right to vote for over 55,000 Minnesotans is no small feat, and we’re grateful for the years of hard work by Minnesota groups, advocates, and formerly incarcerated citizens to get this over the finish line.
 
“Stand Up America’s 8,000 members in the state will continue working to advance other democracy measures this session like the Democracy for the People Act, and we hope to be right back in this position with another bill signing soon.”

Since the start of session, Stand Up America’s over 8,000 members in Minnesota sent  hundreds of emails to lawmakers encouraging them to pass critical democracy measures, including rights restoration. Stand Up America has also launched digital advertisements to educate Minnesotans on the democracy measures moving through the legislature.

In every election since 2004, over 5 million Americans have been disenfranchised by state laws that prevent people with felony convictions from voting. Even more people are disenfranchised because of confusion around eligibility laws that vary by state and often are misinterpreted even by government officials. At the same time, voter intimidation is growing in America. Recent polling from Stand Up America and their partners shows that the majority of voters (56%) believe voting should be a guaranteed right for all.

To speak with a Stand Up America representative about their work in Minnesota or on rights restoration, please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. 

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About Stand Up America
Stand Up America is a progressive advocacy organization with nearly two million community members across the country. Focused on grassroots advocacy to stand up to corruption and voter suppression and build a more representative democracy, Stand Up America has driven over 1.7 million calls to lawmakers, registered over 100,000 voters, mobilized thousands of protestors, and contacted tens of millions of voters.

Website: StandUpAmerica.com
Twitter: @StandUpAmerica
Instagram: @StandUp_America
Facebook: @StandUpAmerica