The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed a lower court ruling that blocked Tennessee’s policy requiring certain felons to provide additional documentation when registering to vote.
On Thursday, the Court of Appeals ruled in Tennessee Conference of the NAACP v. Lee that the plaintiffs in the case, the Tennessee NAACP, lacked Article III standing to bring the suit.
Another big win for Tennessee!
We're always proud to litigate for election integrity on behalf of @tnsecofstate and the TN Election Coordinator. pic.twitter.com/vMAZxjnJOi
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) June 6, 2025
In 2020, the Tennessee NAACP challenged the state’s documentation policy for certain felons seeking to restore their voting rights, arguing it violated the National Voter Registration Act.
Individuals with felony convictions may be eligible to vote depending on the date and type of their conviction, according to Tennessee’s policy outlined by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office.
Those convicted on or before May 17, 1981, can register to vote by simply answering a relevant question on the voter registration form, while those convicted after that date must obtain a court order to restore their voting rights.
Individuals convicted of certain serious felonies (such as murder, rape, treason, voter fraud, and other offenses involving minors or public corruption) during specified periods are permanently disqualified.
To restore voting rights, individuals must meet several conditions, including completing their sentence, being up-to-date on child support payments, and not owing restitution or court costs. All required documents must be submitted to the Administrator of Elections, who forwards them to the Coordinator of Elections for verification.
Before the 2024 election, a district court issued a ruling favoring the Tennessee NAACP and issued a permanent, facial injunction against the policy.
While the district court entered a permanent injunction, it did not issue a final judgment, which allowed the State of Tennessee to appeal the injunction.
In its Thursday ruling, the Court of Appeals emphasized that Tennessee’s policy did not directly regulate the NAACP and that the organization failed to present specific facts showing it had suffered or would imminently suffer a concrete injury.
The Court of Appeals also said that the NAACP did not identify a single voter it had assisted or intended to assist who was affected by Tennessee’s policy.
As a result, the Sixth Circuit vacated the district court’s injunction. It remanded the case for further proceedings, reinforcing the principle that organizational plaintiffs must show a direct, particularized injury to establish standing in federal court.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called the Court of Appeals’ ruling “another big win” for the Volunteer State.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
The only winners here are the Attorneys that profit from this litigation. The cost to taxpayers for this nonsense is staggering.