The North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Thursday on whether convicted felons out on probation, parole, or with outstanding fines should be allowed to vote.
Filed in 2019, the lawsuit challenges the state law prohibiting people who have been convicted of felonies from voting until they complete their sentences, finish their time on parole and probation, and pay their fines.
The 1973 state law restored voting rights only after the discharge of the inmate, probationer, or parolee.
In March 2022, a trial court in Wake County ruled that the law violates the North Carolina Constitution because it discriminates against black voters.
According to data presented in the lawsuit, there are at least 56,516 people in the state who are denied the right to vote because of their outstanding fines related to their felony convictions. Of those, 40, 832 are on probation and 12,376 are on parole or post-release supervision. Based on that data, 5,075 people are denied the right to vote because they’re on probation….