‘You’re able to vote now’: Minnesota Democrats pass raft of progressive reforms

The state was one of a few to secure a Democratic trifecta in 2022, and since then has passed abortion rights along with voting rights and democracy reform legislation

On 1 June, in front of a gaggle of press, Kevin Reese signed his voter registration papers - a possibility that felt remote for the more than 14 years he spent locked up inside of Minnesota correctional facilities.

In prison, Reese thought constantly about what it would mean to leave. He formed a group that met weekly to talk about what it would take to get out and not only be OK, but to transcend and be able to live our dreams". The men talked about the responsibilities that awaited outside: children, parole, taxes. In 2013, Reese said, they began to focus on one concern in particular: voting, and restoring the right to vote to other formerly incarcerated Minnesotans.