Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi HC23: Constitution; amend to restore voting rights to certain qualified electors once meeting sentencing requirements.
Status: Failed, February 3, 2026
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 241, MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890, TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO IS OTHERWISE A QUALIFIED ELECTOR AND HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF VOTER FRAUD, BRIBERY, THEFT, ARSON, OBTAINING MONEY OR GOODS UNDER FALSE PRETENSE, PERJURY, FORGERY, EMBEZZLEMENT, BIGAMY OR ANY CRIME INTERPRETED AS DISENFRANCHISING IN LATER ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS EXCEPT FOR MURDER AND RAPE SHALL HAVE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO VOTE SUSPENDED UPON CONVICTION AND SHALL HAVE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO VOTE RESTORED ONCE HE OR SHE HAS SATISFIED ALL OF THE SENTENCING REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONVICTION; AND PROPOSING THE REPEAL OF SECTION 253, MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890, WHICH PROVIDES THAT THE LEGISLATURE MAY, BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF BOTH HOUSES, OF ALL MEMBERS ELECTED, RESTORE THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE TO ANY PERSON DISQUALIFIED BY REASON OF CRIME.
What the bill says
A concurrent resolution proposing an amendment to section 241, mississippi constitution of 1890, to provide that a person who is otherwise a qualified elector and has been convicted of voter fraud, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, bigamy or any crime interpreted as disenfranchising in later attorney general opinions except for murder and rape shall have his or her right to vote suspended upon conviction and shall have his or her right to vote restored once he or she has satisfied all of the sentencing requirements of the conv…
From the introduced text:
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 241, MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890, TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO IS OTHERWISE A QUALIFIED ELECTOR AND HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF VOTER FRAUD, BRIBERY, THEFT, ARSON, OBTAINING MONEY OR GOODS UNDER FALSE PRETENSE, PERJURY, FORGERY, EMBEZZLEMENT, BIGAMY OR ANY CRIME INTERPRETED AS DISENFRANCHISING IN LATER ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS EXCEPT FOR MURDER AND RAPE SHALL HAVE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO VOTE SUSPENDED UPON CONVICTION AND SHALL HAVE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO VOTE RESTORED ONCE HE OR SHE HAS SATISFIED ALL OF THE SENTENCING REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONVICTION; AND PROPOSING THE REPEAL OF SECTION 253, MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890, WHICH PROVIDES THAT THE LEGISLATURE MAY, BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF BOTH HOUSES, OF ALL MEMBERS ELECTED, RESTORE THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE TO ANY PERSON DISQUALIFIED BY REASON OF CRIME. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That the following amendments to the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 are proposed to the qualified electors of the state: I. Amend Section 241, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, to read as follows: "Section 241. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), every inhabitant of this state, except idiots and insane persons, shall be a qualified elector if he or she is: *HR31/R967* H. C. R. No. 23 ~ OFFICIAL ~ G2/3 26/HR31/R967 …