DES MOINES – The Iowa Supreme Court upheld the provision in the Iowa Constitution that felons lose their voting rights.
The term “infamous crime” was generally recognized to include felony crimes at the time the Iowa constitution was adopted, the Iowa Supreme Court wrote in its decision involving a convicted drug dealer who committed a felony.
“This meaning has not sufficiently changed or evolved to give rise to a different meaning today. In addition, unlike some past cases when we have interpreted provisions of our constitution, the facts and evidence of this case are insufficient to justify judicial recognition of a different meaning. We conclude our constitution permits persons convicted of a felony to be disqualified from voting in Iowa until pardoned or otherwise restored to the rights of citizenship. This conclusion is not to say the infamous-crime provision of our constitution would not accommodate a different meaning in the future.”
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate was happy with the decision.
“I applaud the Iowa Supreme Court in their analysis that felonies are infamous crimes, and therefore, they lose their voting privileges as outlined in the Iowa Constitution,” Pate said Thursday morning after the ruling was announced. “This ruling goes in line with 150 years of precedence and has been reaffirmed by the people of Iowa and their elected representatives on multiple occasions.
“I took an oath to uphold the Iowa Constitution and the laws of our state. That is what I will continue to do and that is what the Iowa Supreme Court did in this case. My office will continue to work to preserve the integrity and fairness of Iowa elections and strive to help and encourage every eligible Iowan to participate in the electoral process.”
Pate also said that felons can get their voting rights restored.
“Lots of misinformation out that Iowa permanently bars felons from voting. Not true. Fill out simple 13-question form. 96% that do, succeed.”
Hitler had similar disqualifying rules written into Germany’s constitution. Works perfectly when you are trying to marginalize and control others.
This is as it should be. They gave up that right when they decided to become felons.
What does this matter? There will be millions of demorat votes cast by illegals and the deceased – GO TRUMP !