SR 483: Right to Register and Vote; conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude as an exception; remove - CA

Georgia's constitution currently says that someone convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude cannot register, stay registered, or vote until they complete their full sentence. This resolution proposes removing that exception entirely from Article II, Section I, Paragraph III of the constitution. The measure would leave in place the separate rule barring people who have been judicially determined mentally incompetent from voting unless that disability is later removed. Because this is a constitutional amendment, it cannot take effect on its own. It must go to Georgia voters statewide, who would see a yes-or-no ballot question asking whether to remove the felony-related voting exception. If a majority vote yes, the change becomes part of the state constitution.

• Removes the constitutional provision barring people convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude from registering, remaining registered, or voting until their sentence is complete.
• Leaves unchanged the separate constitutional rule that bars voting by people judicially determined to be mentally incompetent, unless that disability is removed.
• Sends the proposed constitutional change to Georgia voters as a ballot referendum rather than enacting it directly.
• Specifies the exact yes/no ballot question voters would see asking whether to remove the felony-related voting exception.

Georgians convicted of felonies involving moral turpitude who are currently barred from voting until their sentence is complete, county election officials who administer voter registration, and all registered Georgia voters, who would decide the outcome by voting on the ballot referendum.

If voters approve this change, people with felony convictions involving moral turpitude could register and vote without waiting to finish their sentence, potentially restoring voting rights sooner to a group of Georgians currently excluded under the state constitution.

• Section 1 strikes subsection (a) of Article II, Section I, Paragraph III, which currently blocks voting by people convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude until their sentence is complete.
• Section 1 keeps the remaining provision barring voting by people judicially determined mentally incompetent unless the disability is removed.
• Section 2 requires the amendment to be published and submitted to voters under Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution, and sets the exact ballot language.
• Section 2 states that if ratified by voters, the amendment becomes part of the Georgia Constitution.

1. 2025-03-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-03-27Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-14)Primary sponsor

• voting rights
• felony disenfranchisement
• constitutional amendment
• election rules