Voting Rights After a Felony in Mississippi

How Mississippi law treats voting with a felony conviction, from the state code and official state agencies.

Short answer: In Mississippi, only a conviction for a listed 'disenfranchising crime' takes away the right to vote, and the loss lasts unless rights are restored; Miss. Const. art. 12, § 241; Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-11; Mississippi Secretary of State, Disenfranchising Crimes (2025)

Voting with a felony conviction	In Mississippi, only a conviction for a listed 'disenfranchising crime' takes away the right to vote, and the loss lasts unless rights are restored; the Secretary of State's materials describe no automatic restoration after prison, parole or probation. The Secretary of State's 2025 list is: arson, bribery, extortion, larceny, perjury, robbery, theft, carjacking, larceny under lease, armed robbery, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, statutory rape, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, bigamy, embezzlement, forgery, murder, rape and voter fraud. Section 23-15-11 bars anyone convicted of voter fraud or a disenfranchising crime from being a registered voter. The SOS list is based on § 241, Cotton v. Fordice, 157 F.3d 388 (5th Cir. 1998), and AG Opinion In re Heggie, 2009 WL 2517257. The 2026 Voter Information Guide (https://www.sos.ms.gov/sites/default/files/elections/2026%20Mississippi%20Voter%20Information%20Guide.pdf) states the same eligibility rule (not convicted of a disenfranchising crime unless pardoned or rights restored by the Governor or Legislature). Source: Miss. Const. art. 12, § 241; Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-11; Mississippi Secretary of State, Disenfranchising Crimes (2025)

Voting with a felony conviction

In Mississippi, only a conviction for a listed 'disenfranchising crime' takes away the right to vote, and the loss lasts unless rights are restored; the Secretary of State's materials describe no automatic restoration after prison, parole or probation. The Secretary of State's 2025 list is: arson, bribery, extortion, larceny, perjury, robbery, theft, carjacking, larceny under lease, armed robbery, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, statutory rape, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, bigamy, embezzlement, forgery, murder, rape and voter fraud. Section 23-15-11 bars anyone convicted of voter fraud or a disenfranchising crime from being a registered voter.

The SOS list is based on § 241, Cotton v. Fordice, 157 F.3d 388 (5th Cir. 1998), and AG Opinion In re Heggie, 2009 WL 2517257. The 2026 Voter Information Guide (https://www.sos.ms.gov/sites/default/files/elections/2026%20Mississippi%20Voter%20Information%20Guide.pdf) states the same eligibility rule (not convicted of a disenfranchising crime unless pardoned or rights restored by the Governor or Legislature).

Source: Miss. Const. art. 12, § 241; Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-11; Mississippi Secretary of State, Disenfranchising Crimes (2025)

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Can felons vote in Mississippi?

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.