"Challenges Mount for Formerly Imprisoned Voters in Tennessee"

Tennessee has further restricted the restoration of voting rights for individuals with past felony convictions, joining a growing list of Republican-controlled states that have limited access to the ballot for former felons. Previously, most people with completed felony sentences could restore their voting rights through an administrative process, but only a small fraction have been successful. The new policy now requires formerly incarcerated individuals to obtain clemency from the governor's office or have their citizenship rights restored by a circuit court judge. Tennessee already had one of the lowest voter turnout rates and the second-highest number of disenfranchised residents due to felony convictions in the nation. This decision puts Tennessee in the same category as Virginia and Mississippi, where restoring voting rights is at the discretion of officials.