Trump could still vote for himself after New York conviction
Former President Donald Trump has been convicted of a felony out of New York but despite that, he could still technically vote for himself as long as he’s not in prison on Election Day.
Trump became an official resident of Florida in 2019 and that state defers to other states’ disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted of out-of-state felonies.
New York law only removes the right to vote for people who are convicted of felonies when they are incarcerated. Once they are out of prison, their rights are automatically restored. This is also the case even if they are paroled.
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds up a fist as he arrives back at Trump Tower after being convicted in his criminal trial in New York City, on May 30, 2024.
So, as long as Trump isn’t sent to prison, he can vote for himself in Florida during the November election.
"His rights depend on his sentencing," wrote Michael McDonald, a University of Florida political scientist who’s tracked his state’s felony disenfranchisement rules, on the social media site X, formerly Twitter.
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Trump becomes 1st president convicted of felony crimes
Trump was convicted Thursday of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
Even if he is elected president again, Trump will not be able to pardon himself of state charges in New York. The president's pardon power applies only to federal crimes.
The conviction, and even imprisonment, would not bar Trump from continuing his pursuit of the White House. The Republican National Convention, which will open four days after his July 11 sentencing date in New York, adopted rules last year that didn't include any specific provisions if its presumptive nominee is convicted of a crime.
Delegates could move to change their rules before formalizing Trump's nomination, but there's no evidence that a significant faction of the party would try to replace the former president on the GOP ticket. Trump commands loyalty across the GOP base, and the Republican National Committee is run by his loyalists, including his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as co-chair.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.