Lawsuit targets Nebraska’s defiance of law to restore voting rights to those with felony convictions

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska has filed a lawsuit challenging top election officials’ defiance of state laws that restore the voting rights of those who’ve ever been convicted of a felony.

The ACLU filed the lawsuit Monday on behalf of three Nebraska residents who would be denied the right to vote under a directive from Secretary of State Bob Evnen, who recently ordered county election officials to not allow those with felony convictions to register to vote in November’s presidential election.

One plaintiff, T.J. King of Omaha, had planned to register as a Democrat and vote in this year’s election after finishing probation in 2022 following a prison term for drug and theft convictions.

“We have paid our debt in full, and we should be fully included in our democracy,” King said in a statement. “Being a productive member of society comes with many responsibilities, including jobs, bills and taxes. Those are essential, and so is having a say in who represents us and how tax dollars are spent.”

Of the two other plaintiffs, one had planned to register as a Republican and the other as an independent.

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