TN NAACP v. Lee – Decision Granting Class Certification
On Thursday, April 13, 2023, class certification was granted in NAACP v. Lee, a case challenging the unequal, inaccessible, opaque, and inaccurate Certificate of Restoration process for restoration of voting rights after a felony conviction in Tennessee. This suit argues that the current administration of CORs violates the U.S. Constitution’s requirements of procedural due process as well as the Equal Protection Clause. The court has now certified that the case is fought on behalf of all Tennesseans who have lost the right to vote because of a felony conviction and who have tried to obtain a Certificate of Restoration but have not yet been able to restore their voting rights.