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H. C. R. No. 42 *HR26/R1616.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G2/3
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To: Apportionment and
Elections
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Sanford
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 42
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 1
253, MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890, TO CREATE A STATE SUFFRAGE 2
RESTORATION PANEL TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATE METHOD FOR THE RIGHT TO 3
VOTE TO BE RESTORED TO ELIGIBLE PERSONS CONVICTED OF A NONVIOLENT 4
DISENFRANCHISING CRIME, AND TO SECTION 241, MISSISSIPPI 5
CONSTITUTION OF 1890, TO INCLUDE HUMAN TRAFFICKING, ATTEMPTED 6
MURDER AND SEXUAL BATTERY IN THE LIST OF DISENFRANCHISING CRIMES; 7
AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF 9
MISSISSIPPI, That the following amendment to the Mississippi 10
Constitution of 1890 is proposed to the qualified electors of the 11
state: 12
I. 13
Amend Section 253, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, to read 14
as follows: 15
"Section 253. The right to suffrage may be restored to a 16
person disqualified by reason of crime as follows: 17
(a) The Legislature may, by a two-thirds vote of both 18
houses, of all members elected, restore the right of suffrage to 19
any person disqualified by reason of crime; but the reasons 20
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therefor shall be spread upon the journals, and the vote shall be 21
by yeas and nays. 22
(b) A State Suffrage Restoration Panel is created for 23
the purpose of accepting applications and granting Certificates of 24
Eligibility to Register to Vote to eligible persons disqualified 25
by reason of any disenfranchising crime not classified as a crime 26
of violence by the Legislature. The State Suffrage Restoration 27
Panel shall exercise such authority and perform such duties as may 28
be prescribed by general law." 29
II. 30
Amend Section 241, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, to read 31
as follows: 32
"Section 241. Every inhabitant of this state, except idiots 33
and insane persons, who is a citizen of the United States of 34
America, eighteen (18) years old and upward, who has been a 35
resident of this state for one (1) year, and for one (1) year in 36
the county in which he offers to vote, and for six (6) months in 37
the election precinct or in the incorporated city or town in which 38
he offers to vote, and who is duly registered as provided in this 39
article, and who has never been convicted of murder, rape, 40
bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false 41
pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, or bigamy, human 42
trafficking, attempted murder or sexual battery is declared to be 43
a qualified elector, except that he shall be qualified to vote for 44
President and Vice President of the United States if he meets the 45
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ST: Constitution; amend to create State
Suffrage Restoration Panel and add additional
disenfranchising crimes.
requirements established by Congress therefor and is otherwise a 46
qualified elector." 47
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the explanation of this proposed 48
amendment for the ballot shall read as follows: "This proposed 49
constitutional amendment adds human trafficking, attempted murder 50
and sexual battery to the list of disenfranchising crimes." 51
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this proposed amendment shall be 52
submitted by the Secretary of State to the qualified electors at 53
an election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday 54
of November 2026, as provided by Section 273 of the Constitution 55
and by general law. 56
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the explanation of this proposed 57
amendment for the ballot shall read as follows: "This proposed 58
constitutional amendment provides for the creation of a State 59
Suffrage Restoration Panel to provide an alternate method for the 60
right to vote to be restored to eligible persons and adds human 61
trafficking, attempted murder and sexual battery to the list of 62
disenfranchising crimes." 63