Voting Restrictions, Voting Rights, and the Future of the Franchise in Minnesota

According to The Sentencing Project, an estimated 2 percent of people of voting age in the United States were ineligible to cast ballots in 2022 due to state laws prohibiting people with felony convictions from voting. This panel discussion will explore the history of felon disenfranchisement in the United States, the efforts to change these laws in Minnesota and nationally, and the road ahead for voting rights. The panel will stress strategies to enhance democracy and boost voter turnout, including advising clients about their voting rights after felony voting restoration. 

Panelists include Dr. Christopher Uggen, Regents Professor, Martindale Chair, and Distinguished McKnight Professor in Sociology, Law, and Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota; JaNae' Bates, theologian, Fulbright scholar, and Director of Communications for ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota; Zeke Caligiuri, writer, system-impacted, and MNJRC Community Engagement Manager; and Dr. Katie Remington Cunningham, MNJRC's Research Director. The discussion will be facilitated by Mark Haase, Executive Officer to the Ramsey County Attorney.

General admission tickets for this event are FREE with a suggested donation of $20.00 to support the work of the MNJRC and our partners as you are able. CLE tickets are $60, and Continuing Education Credits for Social Workers are available for $20. If you want a CLE or Social Work CEU credit, please pay the ticket amount at registration.