GREENSBORO, N.C. — A New York jury convicted former President Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Now, all kinds of questions are being asked about what happens next and what the impacts might be.
Can Trump be elected president as a convicted felon?
Yes, Trump can become president. There is nothing in the Constitution that requires that you not be a convicted felon. The irony is in many states he would not be able to vote," said Thom Little, UNCG Political Science Professor.
The key word there is "most" states. But the states in play are Florida, where Trump lives, and New York where he was convicted.
Can Trump vote for himself as a convicted felon?
Let's start in Florida. The state Board of Elections outlines the rules for felons voting. Most of the rules address convictions in the state of Florida. A felony conviction in another state makes a person ineligible to vote in Florida only if the conviction would make the person ineligible to vote in the state where the person was convicted.
That brings us to the state of New York's Board of Elections. That site says, "As of a new law passed in 2021 if a convicted felon is not incarcerated, they are eligible to register to vote".
If Trump is elected, can he pardon himself?
"I've read that some people think that Biden should just pardon him so he can't be a martyr. This is New York, it's not a Federal charge. Even if Trump is elected, he can't pardon himself, this is not a Federal court, this is a state court," said Little.
The only person who could pardon Trump would be the Governor of New York.
What could the sentence include & how could it impact the campaign?
