NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — More than 20% of Tennessee’s Black adults cannot vote due to a felony conviction, while an estimated 8% of the state’s overall adult population is disenfranchised, according to a newly released report.
The report, compiled by nonprofit The Sentencing Project, dropped earlier this week ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.
Overall, the percentage of disenfranchised people in the U.S. has dropped in recent years. But disenfranchisement rates vary wildly from state to state — particularly among racial and ethnic minorities.
In Alabama and Mississippi, more than 8% of each state’s overall adult population is disenfranchised.
Read More: Tennessee felons face obstacles in getting back the right to vote
