'This is my right': ACLU says hundreds of felons were incorrectly told they can't vote

JULIE: THEY SERVED THEIR TIME IN NEBRASKA, AND MANY CAN VOTE, BUT THE STATE MAY HAVE TOLD HUNDREDS OF FELONS OTHERWISE. GOOD EVENING. I’M JULIE CORNELL. THE ACLU STEPPED IN WHEN ONE MAN WAS TOLD HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE, AND HE’S APPARENTLY NOT ALONE. KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S DALAUN DILLARD LEADS OFF OUR COMMITMENT 2020 COVERAGE TONIGHT. DALAUN? DALAUN: CONVICTED FELONS IN NEBRASKA MUST WAIT TWO YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THEIR SENTENCE TO VOTE. THIS MENU WILL HEAR FROM COMPLETED HIS THREE YEARS AGO, BUT WAS STILL TOLD HE COULD NOT VOTE. TONIGHT, WE LEARNED HUNDREDS OF OTHER NEBRASKANS COULD BE FACING THE SAME PROBLEM. >> TODAY, THIS JUST CAME IN THE MAIL A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO, IT’S THE OFFICIAL BALLOT. THE MAIL-IN BALLOT. DALAUN: WALTER WOLFF, A CONVICTED FELON, JUMPED THROUGH HOOPS FOR THIS BALLOT. HE SAYS IT STARTED WITH THIS LETTER FROM THE DOUGLAS COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION, INFORMING WOLFF HE COULDN’T VOTE, SAYING TWO YEARS HADN’T PASSED SINCE HE FINISHED HIS SENTENCE. HOWEVER, WOLFF COMPLETED HIS SENTENCE IN MARCH OF 2017. >> THEY SAID, WELL, WE’RE GOING TO SEND YOU SOME PAPERWORK, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET A PARDON FROM THE GOVERNOR AND A PARDON FROM THE JUDGE. DALAUN: INSTEAD, WOLFF TOOK HIS PROBLEM TO THE NEBRASKA ACLU. >> THIS TWO-YEAR LIMINTATION PERIOD HAS CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION, AND WE WANT VOTERS TO KNOW THAT THERE IS STILL TIME TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH THEIR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS. DALAUN: WOLFF’S DILEMMA LAUNCHED AN ACLU INVESTIGATION, REVIEWING 3500 NEBRASKA VOTING RECORDS AT RANDOM. THE ACLU UNCOVERED ABOUT 400 OTHER NEBRASKANS WHO WRONGFULLY RECEIVED THE SAME LETTER. SOME, WHOSE CHARGES WERE EVEN DROPPED OR REDUCED TO MISDEAMONERS. IN SOME COUNTIES, IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE MUCH WORSE. THE ERROR RATE IN SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTIES IS WELL OVER 6%. DALAUN: STATE ELECTIONS OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE REVIEWING THE ACLU’S FINDINGS AND WILL MAKE CORRECTIONS PRIOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTION. AS FOR MR. WOLFF, HIS VOTING RIGHTS ARE RESTORED. >> -- DALAUN: WHY DIDN’T YOU WANT TO GIVE UP? >> BECAUSE THIS IS MY RIGHT. BUT NOT ONLY THAT, OUR AMERICAN FLAG. WE’VE HAD MANY MEN DIE SO THAT I CAN HAVE THIS PRIVILEGE, AND I OWE IT TO THOSE MEN. DALAUN: ANYONE ELSE WHO MAY HAVE GOTTEN A SIMILAR NOTICE IN ER

Walter Wolff, a convicted felon jumped through hoops to finally get his mail-in ballot.He says his dilemma started when he received a letter for the Douglas County Election Commission, informing him that he was ineligible to vote because two years hadn't passed since he finished his sentence. But Wolff told KETV Newswatch 7 that he completed his sentence back in March of 2017."I called them and told them I've done everything I was supposed to do, I've fulfilled my sentence, so I'm eligible to vote," said Wolff. "They said 'Well we're going to send you some paperwork, you're going to have to get a pardon from the governor and pardon from the judge.'"Wolff instead took his concerns to the Nebraska ACLU."This two year limitation period has caused a great deal of confusion," said Nebraska ACLU legal director Adam Sipple. "We want voters to know that there is still time to address this issue with their local elections officials."Wolff's dilemma launched an ACLU investigation. Sipple said the organization's legal team reviewed 3,500 state voting records and uncovered about 400 other Nebraskans who've received the same letter as Wolff.According to Sipple, some of the voter's charges were even dropped or reduced to misdemeanors. "In some counties it appears that the problem may be much worse," said Sipple. "The error in some other counties is well over 6%."Nebraska's Secretary of State sent KETV Newswatch 7 the following statement:“The ACLU informed the Secretary of State Elections Division that some notices were potentially sent in error. Upon notification, the Elections Division is currently reviewing the findings will make all necessary corrections prior to the general election.” -Cindi Allen, Assistant Secretary of StateThe secretary of state has restored Wolff's voting rights, he said he is excited to vote in the November election."This is my right," said Wolff. "We've had many men die so that I can have this privilege and I owe it to those men."Anyone who may have received the same notice as Wolff in error should reach out to their local election commission office, or contact the Nebraska Secretary of State.

OMAHA, Neb. —

Walter Wolff, a convicted felon jumped through hoops to finally get his mail-in ballot.

He says his dilemma started when he received a letter for the Douglas County Election Commission, informing him that he was ineligible to vote because two years hadn't passed since he finished his sentence.

But Wolff told KETV Newswatch 7 that he completed his sentence back in March of 2017.

"I called them [the Douglas County Election Commission] and told them I've done everything I was supposed to do, I've fulfilled my sentence, so I'm eligible to vote," said Wolff. "They said 'Well we're going to send you some paperwork, you're going to have to get a pardon from the governor and pardon from the judge.'"

Wolff instead took his concerns to the Nebraska ACLU.

"This two year limitation period has caused a great deal of confusion," said Nebraska ACLU legal director Adam Sipple. "We want voters to know that there is still time to address this issue with their local elections officials."

Wolff's dilemma launched an ACLU investigation. Sipple said the organization's legal team reviewed 3,500 state voting records and uncovered about 400 other Nebraskans who've received the same letter as Wolff.

Nebraska's Election Division is reviewing an error that may have informed hundreds of felons they're ineligible to vote. In NE, felons can start voting 2 yrs after they complete their sentence

At 6pm-- the man who sparked this investigation and got his voting rights back. @KETV pic.twitter.com/eTF6yG8WIm
— DaLaun Dillard (@DDillardTV) September 29, 2020

According to Sipple, some of the voter's charges were even dropped or reduced to misdemeanors.

"In some counties it appears that the problem may be much worse," said Sipple. "The error in some other counties is well over 6%."

Nebraska's Secretary of State sent KETV Newswatch 7 the following statement:

“The ACLU informed the Secretary of State Elections Division that some notices were potentially sent in error. Upon notification, the Elections Division is currently reviewing the findings will make all necessary corrections prior to the general election.”

-Cindi Allen, Assistant Secretary of State

The secretary of state has restored Wolff's voting rights, he said he is excited to vote in the November election.

"This is my right," said Wolff. "We've had many men die so that I can have this privilege and I owe it to those men."

Anyone who may have received the same notice as Wolff in error should reach out to their local election commission office, or contact the Nebraska Secretary of State.

'This is my right': ACLU says hundreds of felons were incorrectly told they can't vote

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