Iowa Supreme Court upholds ban on voting rights for felons

FILE - In this March 19, 2014, file photo, Kelli Jo Griffin appears in court in Keokuk, Iowa. On Thursday, June 30, 2016, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that felons automatically lose their voting rights for life in Iowa. The decision declined to restore suffrage to thousands of former offenders. The court turned away a legal challenge filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Griffin, who lost her voting rights after being convicted of a nonviolent drug offense. The group argued that felons like Griffin had not committed "infamous crimes" and therefore should not be disenfranchised. (John Gaines/The Hawk Eye via AP, File) FILE - In this March 19, 2014, file photo, Kelli Jo Griffin appears in court in Keokuk, Iowa. On Thursday, June 30, 2016, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that felons automatically lose their voting rights for life in Iowa. The decision declined to restore suffrage to thousands of former offenders. The court turned away a legal challenge filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Griffin, who lost her voting rights after being convicted of a nonviolent drug offense. The group argued that felons like Griffin had not committed "infamous crimes" and therefore should not be disenfranchised. (John Gaines/The Hawk Eye via AP, File)

By Associated Press June 30, 2016 4 min read

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Convicted felons in Iowa may be automatically stripped of their voting rights for life unless those rights are restored by the governor, a divided Iowa Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The 4-3 decision permanently disenfranchises thousands of former offenders and upholds Iowa’s status as one of the most restrictive states for voting by felons.

Democrats and civil-liberties advocates expressed disappointment in a court known for its 2009 ruling legalizing gay marriage and other progressive decisions.

“This ruling means that Iowa will continue to serve as a notorious outlier when it comes to restricting people’s right to vote,” said Julie Ebenstein, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project.

Iowa’s top elections official, Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate, praised the ruling, saying it was in line with the constitution and state law.