Mississippi Advisory Opinions October 23, 1985: 19851023 (October 23, 1985)

Advisory Opinion Text

Mrs. Maurice H. Bain

Circuit Court Clerk

Post Office Box 262

Ashland, Mississippi 38603

Dear Mrs. Bain:

Attorney General Edwin Lloyd Pittman has received your request and has assigned it to me for research and reply.

Your letter states:

“Our election commissioners have been going over our registration books and purging those who do not live in Benton County and those who do not qualify to vote.

One of our election commissioners wants an Attorney General's opinion about those who have been convicted of a federal crime . Should such a person be marked off of the registration books the same as a person living in the county who has been convicted of a state crime or are there certain crimes in federal court that would affect a persons voting rights?”

It is the opinion of this office that an otherwise qualified person who was convicted of a federal crime did not loose, by virtue of that conviction, the right to vote in state or local elections. In support of this opinion, attached herewith are copies of opinions from this office dated April 10, 1984, February 26, 1981, July 15, 1974, and July 26, 1974.

If this office may be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call on us.

Sincerely yours,

Edwin Lloyd Pittman, Attorney General.