AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO IS OTHERWISE A QUALIFIED ELECTOR AND HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF VOTE FRAUD, OF ANY CRIME LISTED IN SECTION 241, MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890, OR OF ANY CRIME INTERPRETED AS DISENFRANCHISING IN LATER ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS, SHALL HAVE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO VOTE SUSPENDED UPON CONVICTION BUT SHALL HAVE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO VOTE AUTOMATICALLY RESTORED ONCE HE OR SHE HAS SATISFIED ALL OF THE SENTENCING REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONVICTION; TO AMEND SECTIONS 23-15-19, 23-15-125, 23-15-151, 23-15-153 AND 23-15-165, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING SECTION; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 97-39-3 AND 99-19-37, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
House Bill 793 would change Mississippi’s voter-disqualification rules for people convicted of vote fraud, crimes listed in Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, and other crimes later interpreted by Attorney General opinions as disenfranchising. Under the bill, a person who is otherwise a qualified elector would have the right to vote suspended upon conviction, but that right would be automatically restored once all sentencing requirements for the conviction have been satisfied. The bill also updates related election-administration provisions so that voter rolls, pollbooks, and the Statewide Elections Management System reflect both the suspension and automatic restoration of voting rights.
The measure amends multiple election statutes to conform to that new restoration rule. It directs registrars, election commissioners, and circuit clerks to remove affected voters from the voter rolls upon conviction and then restore them automatically when sentencing is complete, including updating the statewide voter database and county pollbooks. It also revises the Statewide Elections Management System provisions to require regular reporting of convictions and restorations, while continuing existing protections for voter-registration data and administrative procedures for pollbook maintenance and election administration.
HB793 would modify Mississippi election law by replacing a permanent or open-ended disenfranchisement framework for certain convictions with a sentence-completion restoration system. It would amend Sections 23-15-11, 23-15-19, 23-15-125, 23-15-151, 23-15-153, and 23-15-165 of the Mississippi Code to require suspension of voting rights upon conviction and automatic restoration after all sentencing requirements are satisfied. The bill would also require corresponding updates to the Statewide Elections Management System, county voter rolls, and pollbooks, and would preserve existing administrative duties for registrars, election commissioners, and circuit clerks.
The bill’s caption and text suggest a reform-oriented approach focused on restoring voting rights after completion of a sentence, which generally indicates support for reentry and voting access. However, the provided context contains no committee transcript, vote record, or recorded debate, so there is no direct evidence of support, opposition, or amendments from legislative discussion. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears designed to broaden post-conviction voting access while maintaining disenfranchisement during the period of conviction and sentencing.
The main point of contention is likely to be whether voting rights should be restored automatically once sentencing requirements are completed, rather than requiring a separate application, pardon, or other discretionary process. Another likely issue is the scope of covered offenses, since the bill applies not only to vote fraud and crimes listed in Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution, but also to crimes later interpreted as disenfranchising in Attorney General opinions. Administrative concerns may also arise over the burden on registrars, election commissioners, and circuit clerks to update voter rolls and pollbooks promptly and accurately. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the available record.