In the first-ever criminal prosecution of a former US president in the history of the country, Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump was found guilty. Five months before Election Day, the political landscape may change as a result of the most recent guilty decision in Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan.
2024 Presidential Elections
The front-runners in the US presidential contest, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, have found themselves in an unusual predicament this time around before November's general election. Given that one of the front-runners has a criminal record, this highlights a unique situation in US political history.
Trump's Case
Notably, after enduring two impeachments and a plethora of other scandals, Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in the majority of polls. He was found guilty on May 30 of fabricating company documents as part of a plot to rig the 2016 election by paying hush money to a porn star who claimed to have had an affair.
In accordance with the US Constitution, a candidate for president must be at least 35 years old, a citizen of the US, and have resided in the nation for 14 years. Consequently, his candidacy for president will be unaffected by a criminal conviction. Even if the former US President received a prison sentence prior to the election, he would still be able to run for office. In light of opinion surveys,
Can Trump Cast A Vote?
As long as he is out of jail in New York state, Donald Trump is permitted to vote for himself in Florida in the election scheduled for November. As to the laws of the state of Florida, where Donald Trump resides, those with felony convictions are not eligible to vote.
Michael McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida, said, "His rights rely on his sentencing," in a social media post on X (previously Twitter). His state's felony disenfranchisement laws, which differ from those of other states for citizens convicted of felonies committed outside of the state, was reportedly something he kept track of.
In a post, Blair Bowie of the Campaign Legal Center stated, “If a Floridian’s voting rights are restored in the state of conviction, they are restored under Florida law," reported by AP. He highlighted that Florida's complex rules often confuse people without Donald Trump's legal resources.
New York State Laws
According to New York legislation, Donald Trump's ability to vote can only be taken away from him while he is incarcerated for offenses. A statute passed by the Democratic Assembly of New York in 2021 states that their voting rights are immediately restored upon release, even while they are on parole.
If Trump Wins
As the president can only pardon federal offenses, Donald Trump will not be able to absolve himself of state charges in New York, even if he is re-elected to office.
