Tennessee eases up on its unique child support rule for restoring voting rights after a felony - AP News

Tennessee has eased enforcement of a unique state rule that required felons to pay all outstanding child support before regaining voting rights. The provision, among the strictest in the nation, had effectively barred thousands of people with felony convictions from voting even after completing their sentences. The relaxed enforcement removes a significant financial barrier to voting rights restoration for a population already facing substantial reentry obstacles. Tennessee's original rule created a situation where individuals could remain disenfranchised indefinitely if they lacked the means to pay accumulated child support, even if they were otherwise eligible to vote. The change reflects growing scrutiny of how states condition voting rights on debt, a practice civil rights advocates argue disproportionately affects low-income citizens.