Pamela Moses, a 44-year-old Black activist from Memphis, has been sentenced to six years and one day in prison for attempting to register to vote while ineligible due to a felony conviction. The case has drawn attention to racial disparities in election-related punishments, as officials have conceded a series of errors in handling her eligibility.
Moses was convicted in November 2021 for trying to register to vote in 2019, despite a 2015 felony conviction for perjury and tampering with evidence, which permanently disenfranchises individuals in Tennessee. However, court documents show that election officials failed to remove her from voter rolls after her conviction, and she was not informed of her ineligibility.
In 2019, Moses launched a mayoral campaign and was told she could not appear on the ballot due to her felony. She sought clarification from a judge, who confirmed she was still on probation. Disputing the calculation, she obtained a certificate from a probation officer stating her probation had ended, which she submitted with a voter registration form. The next day, corrections officials said the certificate was an error, and Moses was still ineligible.
Prosecutor Amy Weirich highlighted Moses' criminal record and argued she knew she was ineligible. However, experts note that such errors are common in Tennessee's confusing voting rules for felons, and no other voter has faced criminal charges for submitting an incorrect certificate. The case has sparked criticism over racial disparities, as Black voters like Moses have received lengthy sentences for voting mistakes, while white offenders often face lighter penalties.
