AN ACT TO RESTORE THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE TO FRANKIE O'NEAL WARD, JR., OF JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
Summary
SB 3397 is a private suffrage bill that restores the right to vote to Frankie O'Neal Ward, Jr. of Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi. The bill states that Ward was disqualified as an elector in 2002 following convictions in Simpson County for two counts of armed robbery, one count of grand larceny, and kidnapping, and that he later completed all terms and conditions of his sentence.
The measure also recites that Ward was released from the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections in 2012 and discharged from probation in 2016, and that the Legislature has been informed he has since lived as a law-abiding and honorable citizen. If enacted, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2026, and would fully restore his suffrage rights.
Impact
This bill would amend Mississippi law only as applied to a single individual by removing the voting disqualification that resulted from his felony convictions. It does not change the general rules governing restoration of voting rights for other people with criminal convictions, but it would reinstate Frankie O'Neal Ward, Jr. as a qualified elector once the act becomes effective.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee debate, votes, or recorded opposition, so there is no documented controversy in the materials provided. The bill’s tone is affirmative and rehabilitative, emphasizing completion of sentence, discharge from supervision, and subsequent law-abiding conduct as the basis for restoring voting rights.
Contention
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided transcripts or voting history because none are available. In general, private suffrage bills can raise questions about whether the individual has fully satisfied sentence requirements and whether restoration should be handled legislatively on a case-by-case basis, but those issues are not directly discussed in the materials here.